Being a great manager is about being a leader

The 21^st century has seen some fundamental changes in how managers carry out their work. There are many different management styles today. No matter the organisation, a manager at his or her core still needs to be a leader.  In the race to redefine management and leadership, are we perhaps losing this very basic management skill? It is an essential soft skill to being in a supervisory or management position. If you feel that your managers lack it, Bookboon has the solution.

The broad term “leadership skills” incorporates many soft skills vital for all employees. Being a leader centres on just a handful of attributes. While one need not be a manager to become a great leader, a manager does need to be an effective leader in order to drive business success. This is especially required in employees promoted into management roles who may require a little extra training and direction in how to lead.

The Essential Differences between a Manager and a Leader

Are your employees in key positions managers or leaders? How do you know the difference? There are several well-covered key differences between a leader and a manager. Your role as a senior manager or executive is identifying which are important to your business. Only you can identify which you require and which your managers and leaders already possess. A leader acts while a manager reacts.

• A leader will create a vision around which to build. A manager will create goals, taking no account of abilities or resource limits
• Leaders strive for and effect change. Managers are unwilling to take risks and do everything they can to maintain the status quo
• Leaders have the confidence to try new things and learn from success and failure. Managers are risk averse and will only copy well-known and proven systems
• Leaders develop and think about long-term strategies. Managers think only of short-term tactics
• Leaders inspire others; a leader is somebody others admire. A manager is simply somebody to whom others report

For your business, having managers who are also leaders means the difference between merely getting by and succeeding.

Why Your Business Needs Leaders

The history of business is full of great leaders. There are men and women without formal training who have created a business from a small trader to a global brand. Not all of them have been in management positions but they are great leaders for personal and business success. Leaders are willing to make decisions and to take difficult decisions including implementing change. They are willing to accept responsibility for mistakes as well as for successes in the process of change. Leaders focus on the long-term goals and vision for your business. No doubt, you already know the skills your existing managers possess. You have no doubt also identified where those managers, or your organisation, lack the essence of a leader. This is how you affect change.

Bookboon’s Solution Can Help Your Managers Become Leaders

Often, your managers are afraid to become the leaders that you need them to be. It may be a lack of confidence, a lack of interpersonal skills or simply the fear of what might happen if it all went wrong. It takes a few simple changes in thinking to encourage your managers to become truly great leaders worthy of the title. Bookboon has that solution. Our ebook library will help you implement the changes in management style that you require of your managers, no matter their level. While our database is large, the major advantage is that your employees may learn in their own time and at their own pace.