I talked to an entrepreneur last week about management and leadership.  In his opinion, all managers are leaders. “Or they ought to be.  In this economy, survival only goes to leaders.”

This led to a discussion about what managers do, and by contrast, what do leaders do?  I offered the thought that managers are expected to preserve the system, maintain the status quo; leaders create change and rewrite the rules.  For me, leadership is not just about the numbers, it is about change.  Numbers may capture part of the story. To understand leadership, one has to understand what has changed.  The numbers reveal the finish line, not the race.

Dee Hock the founder of Visa International claimed boldly that leadership is about personal change first. The leader is the alchemy in a workplace; he changes the way things work, and his commitment to discipline, reflection and personal transformation makes other change possible:

Control is not leadership; management is not leadership; leadership is leadership.  If you seek to lead, invest at least 50% of your time in leading yourself – your own purpose, ethics, principles, motivation, conduct. Invest at least 20% leading those with authority over you, and 15% leading your peers. 

Hock’s explanation ought to rock the view of those who don’t understand leadership; it is not about the old way of doing things, it is about relationships and an investment in learning.  The leader must be profoundly different than a good manager.  While a good manager may be good at taking orders, the good leader examines the purpose of the orders and holds others accountable for a big purpose.

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Call me if you would like to explore your inner leader.

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When are you hopeful?  Send me your answer if you would like to review my Hope Positivity Journal.  E-mail to drsteve@mycareerimpact.com