Last week, I introduced you to the concept of a leader manager and discussed why both traits of leadership and management are necessary in the head of an organization.  I am continuing this week with a breakdown of how each organization functions without the balance of both key traits.

Learn from a Football Coach

It is popular today to compare the key man’s role to that of the football coach. Consider the late Vince Lombardi. He was both an excellent leader and manager. He demonstrated how one person can move an organization to great success. When he was approached about coaching the Green Bay Packers, he said he would accept the job offer under one condition, that he would be the coach and the General manager.

He knew a successful football organization could have only one headman. A man who had direct control over all phases of the operation, so that he could move all concerned in one direction. And control all the organizations effort toward one goal.

As a manager, Lombardi new how to select the right talent. He knew football inside and out and was able to communicate his knowledge to his team. He formulated game plans to effectively use the players talent to win.

Every good manager must know how to do these three things. 1) Select the right people. 2) Train them. 3) Use their talents in the most efficient way to get the job done.

But Lombardi was more than a manager. He was also a leader. He brought out the best in each player. He inspired them as individuals week after week. The packers always seemed to give him their best. They wanted to win for him as well as for themselves. This type of leadership caused them to win Championships year after year.

Leadership Without Management

Let us consider what happens if you offer your people either leadership or management, but not both. If you provide only leadership, the morale of the group may be high for a while. But without direction people lose sight of the objective and go off on tangents. They fail to move the head together toward the organization’s goals. They might be working very hard, but nothing really happens.

The members of the organization feel that something is wrong. They are not getting anywhere. They need someone to coordinate their work. We all know people who have real leadership qualities, but possess little management ability. People love them but only for a while. They generate dozens of new ideas. But they lack the discipline to bring them to completion. Before one idea is executed they are off to another one.

These type of leaders tend to send up a lot of fireworks. There is an instant of beautiful display. Everyone marvels at the wonderful ideas. However, because there’s no one to execute the ideas nothing of significance happens. Peoples interest lags in such a situation. Eventually they look for someone who can manage their efforts and who can help them achieve their goals.

Management Without Leadership

Alternatively, is an organization that has management without leadership. When there is all management and no leadership, morale is destroyed. You can organize to the ultimate, provide a plethora of plans, and have well-engineered programs, but without leadership the effort is wasted.

Perhaps you have not thought of your role as being both the manager and leader. Do you think you’re doing a good job now in both areas? Or do you need improvement? Let me know in the comments below!

Join me next Monday for the final part of Why Every Organization Needs a Leader Manager.  I will cover ways to improve as a leader and a manager, so that you can be a healthy balance of both and run your organization with optimal efficiency.