Leadership vs.

Management
What is the difference between management and leadership? It is a question that has been asked more than once and also answered in different ways. The biggest difference between managers and leaders is the way they motivate the people who work or follow them, and this sets the tone for most other aspects of what they do. Many people, by the way, are both. They have management jobs, but they realize that you cannot buy hearts, especially to follow them down a difficult path, and so act as leaders too.

Managers have subordinates

By definition, managers have subordinates - unless their title is honorary and given as a mark of seniority, in which case the title is a misnomer and their power over others is other than formal authority.

AUTHORITARIAN, TRANSACTIONAL STYLE

Managers have a position of authority vested in them by the company, and their subordinates work for them and largely do as they are told. Management style is transactional, in which the manager tells the subordinate what to do, and the subordinates do this not because they are blind robots, but because they have been promised a reward (at minimum their salary) for doing so.

WORK FOCUS
Managers are paid to get things done (they are subordinates too), often within tight constraints of time and money. They, thus, naturally pass on this work focus to their subordinates.

SEEK COMFORT
An interesting research finding about managers is that they tend to come from stable home backgrounds and lead relatively normal and comfortable lives. This leads them to be relatively risk-averse and they will seek to avoid conflict where possible. In terms of people, they generally like to run a 'happy ship'.

LEADERS HAVE FOLLOWERS

Leaders do not have subordinates - at least not when they are leading. Many organizational leaders do have subordinates, but only because they are also managers. But when they want to lead, they have to give up formal authoritarian control, because to lead is to have followers, and following is always a voluntary activity.

CHARISMATIC, TRANSFORMATIONAL STYLE

Telling people what to do does not inspire them to follow you. You have to appeal to them, showing how following you will lead them to their hearts' desire. They must want to follow you enough to stop what they are doing and perhaps walk into danger and situations that they would not normally consider risking. Leaders with a stronger charisma find it easier to attract people to their cause. As a part of their persuasion they typically promise transformational benefits, such that their followers will not just receive extrinsic rewards but will somehow become better people.

PEOPLE FOCUS
Although many leaders have a charismatic style to some extent, this does not require a loud personality. They are always good with people, and quiet styles that give credit to others (and take blame on themselves) are very effective at creating the loyalty that great leaders engender. Although leaders are good with people, this does not mean they are friendly with them. In order to keep the mystique of leadership, they often retain a degree of separation and aloofness. This does not mean that leaders do not pay attention to tasks - in fact they are often very achievement-focused. What they do realize, however, is the importance of enthusing others to work towards their vision.

SEEK RISK
In the same study that showed managers as risk-averse, leaders appeared as risk-seeking, although they are not blind thrill-seekers. When pursuing their vision, they consider it natural to encounter problems and hurdles that must be overcome along the way. They are thus comfortable with risk and will see routes that others avoid as potential opportunities for advantage and will happily break rules in order to get things done. A surprising number of these leaders had some form of handicap in their lives which they had to overcome. Some had traumatic childhoods, some had problems such as dyslexia, others were shorter than average. This perhaps taught them the independence of mind that is needed to go out on a limb and not worry about what others are thinking about you.

THIS TABLE SUMMARIZES THE ABOVE (AND MORE) AND GIVES A

SENSE OF THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN BEING A LEADER AND BEING A MANAGER.
This is, of course, an illustrative characterization, and there is a whole

spectrum between either ends of these scales along which each role can range. And many people lead and manage at the same time, and so may display a combination of behaviours.

Subject Essence Focus Have Horizon Seeks Approach Decision Power Appeal to Energy Culture Dynamic Persuasion Style Exchange Likes Wants Risk Rules Conflict Direction Truth Concern Credit Blame

Leader Change Leading people Followers Long-term Vision Sets direction Facilitates Personal charisma Heart Passion Shapes Proactive Sell Transformational Excitement for work Striving Achievement Takes Breaks Uses New roads Seeks What is right Gives Takes

Manager Stability Managing work Subordinates Short-term Objectives Plans detail Makes Formal authority Head Control Enacts Reactive Tell Transactional Money for work Action Results Minimizes Makes Avoids Existing roads Establishes Being right Takes Blames

The Good News To be a successful leader, you dont have to be charismatic like Alexander the Great, JFK, or Churchill. Ordinary people such as teachers, ministers, coaches, and janitors can get extraordinary results from people because they lead by example. Keep these common characteristics of good leaders in mind while developing your leadership skills: Vision A leader has a clear vision of where he wants to take his business, as well as what the final product will look like. But thats just the start. They must also be able to share the vision with others in a way that empowers people so theyll want to follow and be involved. Integrity Trust is vital! A leader must be trusted. Team members want to follow someone whose outward actions match their inner values. Such a leader can be trusted because they never veer from the inner values even when it might be a shortcut to do so. Dedication Leaders spend whatever time is necessary to accomplish their vision. Others are inspired by seeing the example, seeing the leader doing whatever it takes to get to the next step. When this happens, followers see opportunity to achieve something great for themselves.

Five Steps for Building High Performing Teams 1. Benchmark your team with PERFORM 2. Create a team charter 3. Diagnose your teams development level 4. Match leadership style to your teams development level. 5. Develop Strategies for higher team performance

Step One: Benchmark your team with PERFORM

We define a team as two or more persons who come together for a common purpose and who are mutually accountable for results. This is the difference between a team and a group. Often, Work groups are called teams without developing a common purpose and shared accountability. This can lead to disappointing results and a belief that teams do not work well. Building High Performing Teams is like building a great organization, begins with a picture of what you are aiming for- a target. It is imperative to know what a high performing team is. That is why the team performance process begins with PERFORM, an acronym that represents seven key characteristics found in all high performing teams. These represent the gold standard for team committed to excellence. By benchmarking your team in each of these areas, you can identify the areas where you need to focus team development.

P E R F O R M

Purpose & Values Empowerment Relationship & Communication Flexibility Optimal Performance / Productivity Recognition and appreciation Morale

Purpose & Values are the glue that holds the team together and form the foundation
of a high performing team. Following are the indicators of the team with clear purpose and value... Clear commitment to a common purpose Common values and norms promote integrity, quality and collaboration Specific team goals are clear, challenging , agreed on and relevant to the purpose Strategies for achieving goals are clear and agreed on Individual roles are clear, and their relationship to the team purpose and goals is understood

Empowerment is what happens when the organization supports the team in doing its
work effectively. Following are the indicators of an empowered team... Values, norms and policies encourage initiative, involvement and creativity All relevant organization and business information is readily available to the team The team has the authority within understood boundaries, to take action and make decisions Direction, structure and training are available to support individual and team development The team is committed to the continuing growth and development of all team members

Relationship & Communication, both internal and external, are the teams lifeblood.
Following are the indicators for excellent relationship and communication... Different ideas, opinions, feelings and perspectives from all team members are encouraged and considered Team members listen actively to each other for understanding, not judgement Methods of managing conflict and finding common ground are understood Cultural differences including race, gender, nationality, age, etc., are valued and respected Honest and caring feedback helps team members to be aware of their strengths and weaknesses

Flexibility is the ability to adapt to constantly changing conditions and demands, with
team members backing up and supporting one another as needed. In a flexible team... Team members share responsibility for team development and leadership The team is able to meet challenges using the unique talents and strengths of all team members Team members shift from behaviours that provide direction or support as needed The team is open to exploring different ways of doing things and adapts to change Calculated risks are supported .Mistakes are seen as opportunities for learning

Optimal Performance /Productivity is whats generated by a high performing team.

Highly productive team... constantly produces significant results; the job gets done committed to high standards and measures for productivity, quality and service is committed to learning from mistakes and to continuous improvement uses effective problem-solving and decision-making skills to overcome obstacles creatively coordinates efforts with other teams, vendors and customers as appropriate

Recognition

and appreciation are ongoing dynamics that build and reinforce

productivity and morale by focusing on progress and the accomplishment of major milestones throughout the teams life.

In high performing team... Individual and team accomplishments are often acknowledged by team leaders and team members Team members have sense of personal accomplishment in relation to task contributions Team contributions are valued and recognized by the larger organization Team members feel highly regarded within team The team celebrates successes and milestones

Morale

is the sense of pride and satisfaction that comes from belonging to the team accomplishing its work. Following are the indicators of the team with high morale... Team members are confident and enthusiastic about the teams efforts and are committed to success The team encourages hard work, as well as having fun There is a strong sense of pride in and satisfaction with the teams work There is a strong sense of trust and team spirit among team members The members have developed a supportive and caring relationship and help each other

Step Two: Create a Team Charter

Knowing where you are headed is the first step on the journey to high performing team performance. But just calling together a team and giving it a clear charge does not mean the team will become high performing. Team leadership is much more complicated than one-on-one leadership. Many a times managers typically spend more time preparing for a meeting with one of their team members rather than with their entire team. Managing a high performing team takes considerable effort. One of the single most important things a team leader can do is to set up the environment for and support the team in creating a team charter. To create a solid foundation for the teams work, it is important to complete a team charter at this early point in teams life cycle. A charter is a set of agreement that clearly states what the team is to accomplish, why it is important, and how the team will work together to achieve results. The charter documents common agreement, but it is also a dynamic document that can be modified as team needs change.

The team charter agreement directly links the teams purpose to the organizational vision and purpose. Team values and norms should reflect the organizational values, as well as provide guidelines for appropriate behaviour within the team. Identifying team initiatives sets the foundation for determining goals and roles. This is when team establishes strategies for communication, decision making and accountability. If the team will need resources, they are identified at this stage. Once completed, the charter provides a touchstone for making sure the team is on track. The team is now ready to move from planning to doing, and it will keep the charter visible and available to navigate the stages ahead.

Step Three: Diagnose your teams Development Level

Building a high performing team is a journey a predictable progression from a collection of individuals to a well-oiled system where all the PERFROM characteristics are evident. All teams are unique and complex living systems. The whole of a team is different from the sum of its members. Knowing the characteristics and needs of a high performing team

is critical. It gives you a target to shoot for. Obviously, teams do not start with all the PERFORM characteristics in place. Regardless of their purpose, teams, like individuals, go through a series of developmental stages as they grow. After in depth study and research, following four stages of team development have been identified.

1. Orientation 2. Dissatisfaction 3. Integration 4. Production

Understanding these development stages and teams characteristics and needs at each stage is essential for team leaders and team members if they will be effective in building successful, productive teams. Thats what diagnosis is all about. The ability to determine a teams stage of development and assess its needs requires stepping back and looking at the team as a whole, rather than focusing on individual behaviours and needs.

The Stages of Team Development Model

Productivity and Morale

Two variables determine the team development stages : Productivity and Morale. Productivity is the amount and quality of the work accomplished in relation to the teams purpose and goals. Productivity is dependant on members ability to collaborate, their knowledge and skills, clear goals and access to needed resources. Morale is the sense of pride and satisfaction that comes from belonging to the team and accomplishing its work.

High morale with low performance is partly not a team. On the other hand the team that is achieving good result yet has low morale will eventually stumble, and its performance will fade.
Diagnosing the level of productivity and morale is a clear way to determine a teams development stage and understand team needs at any point in time.

Team Development Stage 1: Orientation

All new teams have to have a sense of purpose as well as some clarity about team values and goals, individual roles, team norms and decision making processes. Characteristics: 1. Moderate eagerness 2. High, often unrealistic expectations 3. Anxiety about roles , acceptance, trust in others, demands on them 4. Tentative, polite, conforming behaviour 5. Lack of clarity about purpose, norms, roles, goals, structure (how they will work together) 6. Dependant on authority for direction and support 7. Some testing of boundaries In this stage, team members depend strongly on the leader for... 1. A common understanding of the teams purpose 2. Agreement on values and norms for working together 3. Agreement on roles, goals and standards 4. Agreement on decision - making authority and accountability 5. Agreement on structure how work will get done and by whom, timelines ,tasks and required skills 6. Information about available resources 7. Knowledge about each other to utilize diverse talents and build personal connections

The challenge for a Leader in the orientation stage is to work on following issues... 1. Developing purpose and structure of the team 2. Building relationship, Acceptance & Trust Morale is moderately high and productivity is low during this stage.

Team Development Stage 1: Dissatisfaction

During this stage the team gets some experience under its belt. Characteristics: 1. Discrepancy between expectations and reality 2. Confusion and frustration around roles and goals 3. Dissatisfaction with dependence on authority 4. Expression of dissatisfaction 5. Formulation of coalitions 6. Feelings of incompetence, confusion, low confidence 7. Competition for power, authority and attention 8. Low trust & Some task accomplishment In this stage, team members depend strongly on the leader for... 1. Clarification of big picture 2. Redefinition of purpose ,roles, goals and structure 3. Recommitment to values and norms 4. Development of team and task skills 5. Development of communication processes including active listening, the exchange of non-judgmental feedback, conflict management and problem solving 6. Valuing of differences & Access to information and resources 7. Encouragement and reassurance & Recognition of accomplishments 8. Open and honest discussion of issues including emotional blocks, coalition and personality conflicts 9. Mutual accountability and responsibility The challenge in the dissatisfaction stage is to help the team manage issues of... 1. Power

2. Control 3. Conflict and begin to work together effectively This is the most critical stage, it is possible that team may get stuck in this stage if the leader is unable to create collaborative environment within the team.

Team Development Stage 3: Integration

This stage is a bridge between dissatisfaction and the efficiency and excitement. Moderate to high productivity and variable or improving morale characterize a team at the Integration team Characteristics 1. Increased clarity and commitment on roles, goals, tasks and structure 2. Increased commitment to norms and values 3. Increased task accomplishment moderate to high 4. Growing trust, cohesion, harmony and mutual respect also willingness to share responsibility, leadership and control 5. Understanding and valuing of differences & Use of team language We rather than me 6. Tendency to avoid conflict 7. Team members are ready to share leadership and control. In this stage, team members depend strongly on the leader for... 1. Integration of team and individual roles and goals, norms and structure 2. Continued skill development 3. Encouragement to share different perspective and to disagree in order to further develop problem solving skills 4. Continued building of trust and positive relationships 5. Shared responsibilities for leadership and team functioning 6. A focus on increasing productivity 7. Evaluation of and learning from each experience 8. Recognition and celebration of each success

The challenge in the Integration stage is to help the team manage issues of... 1. Sharing of control 2. Management of conflict

Team Development Stage 4: Production

At this stage both productivity and morale are high and reinforce one another. This is PERFORM in action. Thee is a sense of pride and excitment in the being part of a high perfroming team The primar focus is now on perfromance. Characteristics 1. Clear purpose, values, roles and goals 2. Empowering team practices that free team energy and lead to continues improvement 3. Relationships and communication built on trust, mutual respect and openness 4. Flexibility and shared leadership that allow the team to respond to new challenges 5. Optimal productivity and high standards 6. Recognition and appreciation for individual and team accomplishment 7. High morale In this stage, team members depend strongly on the leader for... 1. Continuous focus on productivity 2. New challenges 3. Recognition and celebration of team accomplishments 4. Individual acknowledgement 5. Decision-making autonomy within boundaries The challenge in the production stage is to help the team manage issues of... 1. Sustaining the teams perfromance through new challenges and continued growth.

Step Four: Match Leadership Style to Your Teams Development Level

As team moves through the different development stages. A team requires leadership that is responsive to its needs at each stage. Situation Leadership II, used extensvily to develop individual performance, works equally well when applied to a team or collaborative group. Situation Leadership II consists of two variables - directing behavior and supporting behavior, which combine to form four leadership styles. The same framework applies to leading teams. Directing behavior structures and guides team outcomes. Behaviors that provide direction include organizing, structuring, educating and focusing the team. Supporting behavior develops mutual trust and respct within the team, Behaviors that provide support include involveing,enncouraging , listening to , and collabrating with team members.

Combining the stages of Team Development Model with the Situation Leadership II The directing and supporitng behaviors of the Situation Leadership IImodel provide a framework for meeting team needs.

Situation Leadership II Team Leadership Style

HIGH

LOW

When we combine the four leadership styles with the first four stages of the team development as illustrated in above figure, we have a framework for matching each stage with an appropriate leadership style.

For leaders and members to determine the appropritate leadership style ..... Step 1 Diagnose the teams stage of development in relation to its goal, considering both productivity and morale. Step 2 Locate the teams present stage of development on the stages of Team Development Model, and follow a verticle line up to the curve on Situation Leadership II model. The point of intersection indicates the appropriate leadership style for the team.

At Stage - 1, the Orientation stage, a directing style is appropriate. The team is moderately eager but dependent on authority. Leaders need to get the team off to a good start by developing purpose and structure while building relationships and trust. This is the time to create team charter. At Stage - 2, the Dissatisfaction stage, a coaching leadership style is appropriate. At this point the team is probably experiencing confusion and frustration and needs to learn how to manage conflict and work together effectivly. Now is when the leader should .. reconfirm or clarify the teams purpose, norms,goals and roles develop both task and team skills Confront difficult issues and Recongnize helpful behaviors and small accomplishment

At Stage - 3, the Integration stage, a supporting leadership style is appropriate. The team, now working together more effectively but cautiously, must learn to share leadership and address conflict. In this stage the team needs less direction around the task and more support focused on building the confidence, cohesion, involvement, and shared leadership. This is a time to encourage people to voice different perspective, share responsibility for leadership, and examine team functining. At Stage - 4, the Production stage, a delegating leadership style is appropriate. Now operating with high productivity and high morale, the team is challenged by the need to sustain its high perfromance.

Continued recognition and celebration of the teams accomplishments is needed at this time, as well as the creation of new challenges and higher standards. At this stage it is appropriate to foster decision-making autonomy within established boundaries.

Step Five: Develop Strategies for Higher Team Performance

Working in teams requires leaders to acquire new knowledge and skills that they may not have developed earlier. Yet, if they hope to build high performing teams and people, they should better learn these skills. Thinking of a team as a partnership between team leader(s) and members is very important for any leader. A conscious awareness of the dynamics occuring within a team is a critical factor in helping the team develop. Observing what is going on in the team is an important function of the team leader. By observing the team, leaders can develop strategies and skills to address issues confronting the teams, such as conflict management, individual differences, problem solving and decision making. For highest perfromance, leaders should encourage regularly scheduled team checkups to review the charter, evaluate progress, discuss changes and incorporate lessons learned.