The REAL Difference Between Leadership And Management

Executive leadership training begins with your own personal mission and vision.

By Mostafa Sayyadi | Chartered Managers Canada

Self-leadership is built upon the premise that you lay a solid foundation---one that is filled with the necessary tools to help you build the foundation for personal excellence. This article helps you build a better leadership presence and Authentic Leadership. To do this, apply the leadership competency of Authenticity:

When being an authentic leader or manager, it would help to consider the difference and how you would lead more effectively. Having a healthy, positive relationship with your followers is key to your success, and knowing if you are being authentic when dealing and communicating with them will improve your effectiveness when influencing behavior.

In an interview with Harvard professor Bill George, he says that if you want to be a real authentic leader, "you have to follow your true north. You have to be the real person that you’re called to be". And in another interview with Michael Useem, who is now a professor of management at Wharton School, he says that “if you don’t feel that you’re being the authentic you, and if you don’t really have a North Star yet, how can you develop that authenticity?”

Authentic leadership and management is not a dichotomy. At times, some leaders will be closer to five as opposed to being on an extreme one or ten. Let us review and score each dimension:

Scoring a five on doing things for stakeholders or doing things for the least among us would be a high score. Focusing on stakeholders covers the least among us but given the fact that we must reach out to the least among us in both charitable and promotable ways is very important.

Scoring five on the second dimension, coaching people from the lower levels of the firm and evaluating people for their best potential would be a high score. Leaders need to be both a coach to followers and continuously evaluate them to help them reach their best potential.

Dimension three is an important viewpoint of authentic leadership. Leaders need to be proactive in mentoring followers and also take a proactive approach to problems in society. Thus scoring closer to one on this dimension is the most appropriate score.

Dimension four is another important viewpoint for leaders to consider. A solid 4 to 6 would be a good score because having a long-term perspective with resilience is very important but also planning for the short term to control problems is also important. This is a strategic dimension with planning for both the short- and long-term.

Dimension five is an interesting perspective as leaders are more engaged in electronic leadership. A solid score of 4 would suffice because leaders want to be able to enhance trust remotely to keep subordinates satisfied while giving them a voice. The controlling part is less appealing but there is some control in developing the electronic leadership presence

Dimension six is a split decision of a solid score of 5 because innovating to save time along with performing functions “once” correctly is very important for authentic leaders and managers. This is Total Quality Management perspective.

Dimension seven is so important today as leaders need to initiate and manage diversity well. A solid score of 5 is best as leaders help minoritized individuals succeed coupled with a diversified structure or optimization.

Dimension eight is a trickier one. Challenging norms to reduce stereotyping is very important and securing jobs is also in demand right now and will continue to be. The trickier question is maintaining the status quo. While this may appear appropriate, it falls short of authentic leadership. Therefore, a score of 3 or 4 is the most appropriate for this final dimension.

The Post-Pandemic has raised the fact that followers are facing an unprecedented time with the Covid-19 pandemic. Thus, being a great authentic leader is most appropriate. Given the fact that so many more things can be considered as a dimension, this article opens up a rich discussion that is necessary for recovery and fortitude moving forward.

About the Author: 

Mostafa Sayyadi works with senior business leaders to effectively develop innovation in companies, and helps companies—from start-ups to the Fortune 100—succeed by improving the effectiveness of their leaders. He is a business book author and a long-time contributor to business publications and his work has been featured in top-flight business publications.