Many people mistakenly think that leaders and managers are the same. Leaders and managers are actually different because leaders focus on inspiring and developing people whereas managers focus on controlling people. Leaders are better than managers in any organisation.
Leaders and managers need to influence people. Managers rely on formal power whereas leaders rely on personal power to influence people. We can respond in different ways when someone tries to influence us: We can resist, obey, or agree happily. The problem faced by managers is that, too often, people simply obey and refrain from disagreeing with them because of fear: Formal authority is an invisible monster. Effective leaders are able to get people to accept their suggestions willingly because they tap into shared values and help people to grow.
Effective leaders recognise the importance of building a collective identity because people who feel they belong to a group that gives their lives more meaning are likely to make sacrifices for the group and enjoy their work. Creating a collective identity requires knowing the values and goals that inspire people and developing a climate in which all members of the group feel respected, appreciated, and a sense of purpose.
Leaders need to be trusted. Trust is a complex phenomenon and its importance in workplace relationships is easy to overlook. Different types of behaviours lead to different types of trust. Being competent and reliable is a good start if you want to be seen as trustworthy but you need to do a lot more if you want to get enduring trust from people: The type of trust where your intentions are not questioned.
Leadership is about caring. The best leaders care deeply about people, their organisation, and the wider community. They transcend the norm and transform people by personifying integrity, compassion, and authenticity. The best leaders preach only what they practise, inspire others to seek greatness, and share their explicit and tacit knowledge enthusiastically.
To be motivated means to be energised. Great leaders energise people. They are able to stimulate people to high levels of motivation by being a role model, providing justice, and convincing others of the worthiness of the future they envisage. All of us have a wide range of needs. Effective leaders recognise our various needs and behave in ways that satisfy our needs for dignity, respect, and achievement, and enable us to help ourselves to meet our needs. To be motivated, we need to believe certain things and effective leaders know what we need to believe. To be motivated, we need to be excited about our goals and utterly convinced that we can achieve goals that, at first, may seem unattainable. Effective leaders are exciting and render us willing to make lots of little sacrifices so that we can achieve lofty goals and become all that we can be.
Every organisation has its own particular culture. You can think of organisational culture as the way in which an organisation operates and it subsumes issues such as what matters to the organisation and how members of the organisation should behave and treat others. Effective leaders know how to build an organisational culture that can get the best out of people in a win-win way. Organisational cultures that are meritocratic and harmonious encourage people to do their very best. Great organisational cultures make people look forward to going to work and perform at levels that surpass their personal standards. Great organisational cultures make members of the organisation feel that they are part of a big family that supports and nurtures them. Great organisational cultures lead to great organisational performance.
Work is a major part of our lives. Work provides us not only with a means to pay our bills but also a sense of identity. Who we think we are is determined largely by the work we do. Effective leaders know this and therefore ensure that people believe the work they do is meaningful and that people have ownership of their jobs. To empower others requires confidence: The confidence to allow others to be great. Effective leaders empower people by giving them autonomy, allowing them to demonstrate their competencies, providing them with opportunities to grow, and making them feel that what they do matters to the organisation and the wider community.
The secret to effective leadership is not to manage your people. There is no need to control people because most people take pride in their work and want to make a positive difference in their world. Micro-management stifles creativity, reduces trust in the leader, and makes people feel unworthy. True leadership creates love for the leader, a desire to emulate the leader, and a passion to do things above and beyond the call of duty.
Article Contributed by Dr. Gian Casimir, Honorary Academic Advisor of Training Edge International and was a lecturer with Wharton School in the University of Pennsylvania. He currently lectures at the University of Newcastle in Singapore.
Email : Gian.Casimir@trainingedgeasia.com;
Website : www.trainingedgeasia.com
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