Barnabas File

“Leadership builds something new. Management organizes what's already built.” --Carey Nieuwhof   In training and writing about organizational development, a false dichotomy is often set up between a leader and a manager, sometimes inferring that being a leader is much more important than being a manager.  The reality is that both roles are needed. Leaders set the pace and nourish the vision; managers take care of the details that lead to the accomplishment of the vision.   Although every person has a tendency toward one set of skills rather than the other, both are needed in any effective organization.  A charismatic pastor often needs a supportive administrator who complements his or her gifts.  There are occasions where both sets of skills may be needed in the same person and an effort must be made to develop and employ some skills that may not come naturally to the individual.   Let me complicate the picture a bit by suggesting another set...

Work is more complicated than it used to be.     Most jobs require not simply a person who will be a “cog in the machine” but a motivated contributor.     Especially with younger generations, motivation comes not just from a paycheck, but in the ability to learn, grow, and contribute.     This requires managers who will adopt a different supervision style. In a recent article , Gallup provided a strong argument for managers adopting a coach approach to supervision.  Coaching requires a more personal, interactive style, but the writer states, “ When managers provide meaningful feedback to employees, those employees are 3.5x more likely to be engaged. ” Although becoming a coaching leader requires significant training, here are some ways that a manager can become a coach. First, recognize the uniqueness of the person you supervise.  Every individual has different experiences, skill sets, and abilities.  Their uniqu...

Seth Godin does good work.   Not only does he provide alternatives to old ways of doing things, he reminds us not to neglect proven concepts.   In a recent blog post , he wrote about the differences between managers and leaders.   He said: “Managers work to get their employees to do what they did yesterday, but a little faster and a little cheaper.   Leaders, on the other hand, know where they'd like to go, but understand that they can't get there without their tribe, without giving those they lead the tools to make something happen.   Managers want authority. Leaders take responsibility.” Godin goes on to point out that we need both managers and leaders, but he shows his bias when he says, “It helps to remember that leaders are scarce and thus more valuable.” Although I understand his sentiment, I have to disagree.   I would say that both are valuable, but only if they understand their respective roles and both accept the responsibilities tha...