A New Restaurant

Years ago there was a commercial on TV for an stock brokerage company called E.F. Hutton. The commercials were always tagged in a public place, and at some point one of the actors would say to the other, “My investor is E. F. Hutton, and E. F. Hutton says…” At that point, everyone within earshot stops what they are doing and falls silent. The catch line was, “When E. F. Hutton talks, people listen.”

It’s the same thing with leaders. They don’t need a trumpet fanfare. They don’t need to remind people they are in charge, but when they speak, people listen. How does a person get others to listen without being told to? What is it about them that makes others want to follow their lead? What about you; are you a manager, or are you a leader? Although some people fail to grasp the differences, those differences are significant, and can be the difference between success and failure.

Every team or organization needs a leader. Ideally that leader is the manager, but that isn’t always the case. People have to trust someone before they will follow them. If the manager is not someone who instills trust in the people under their supervision, the people will find someone else to lead them. The greatest danger in someone other than the manager leading is that the person who is chosen as the leader may not have your businesses best interest in mind.

Leaders have followers

This may seem like a no-brainer, but it is a key difference between managers and leaders. While managers have subordinates who may or may not do what they are told to do, a leader has followers who will follow the leader’s direction.

True leaders are more concerned with doing what is right rather than being right. This shows through in the way they treat people. When credit is given, the leader shares that credit with the team, rather than taking all the credit for themselves, Likewise, when things don’t turn out as well, the leader steps up to accept that blame. Managers who are not leaders give the impression that their personal well being outweighs the well being of the group. They accept the praise, and pass along the blame.

The Power of Formal Authority

Managers have the formal authority to make the people under them do what they are told to do. Their position gives them the right to give orders, and punish those who fail to follow those orders. However, formal authority does not give managers the power to make their people care. It does not give them the power to make their people make the extra effort. That requires a leader.

Leaders have the ability to get people to want to do what they are asked to do. People will be willing to go above and beyond the call of duty for a good leader, not because they have to, or because of some personal reward, but because they want to please their leader. This goes back to the issue of trust. People trust that the leader is looking out for them, and has their best interest at heart.

One way leaders get people to take more interest in succeeding at their job is by encouraging members of the team to help in making decisions. When a manager makes an authoritarian decision, people will distance themselves from that decision. On the other hand, if people feel like they had an active part in the decision making process, they are more likely to take ownership in the decision.

The good news is that the myth of the born leader is just that, a myth. While some people seem to naturally excel in leadership skills, they are skills that anyone can learn. With practice and patience, anyone can become a leader.

The first skill you need to learn is active listening. Stop what you’re doing, make eye contact, and try to really hear and understand what the other person is saying. A bad habit that some people fall into is planning what they are going to say next instead of paying attention to the speaker. If that’s you, stop it. You can not understand the other person if your mind is focused on you.

The second, and for many people the hardest step, is to take your own ego out of the equation. If you’re not in it solely for yourself, then it doesn’t matter who gets the glory. A good idea is a good idea, regardless of who came up with it.

I can assure you, upper management knows that if the manager looks good, it’s because of a strong team. If the team is strong, it’s because they have a good leader. Upper management is also aware of who that leader is. You all need each other to succeed. By alienating your team, you are hurting your chances of success.

If you want to succeed as a manager, you need to be a leader. The more you develop your leadership skills, the better manager you will be. It all works together.