Leadership and Management - Love and Marriage – ETC.

Like the song goes: “you can’t have one without the other”. The “Father of modern management” , Peter Drucker would’ve definitely agreed [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Drucker]. Some of us may disagree. Over the course of 5 months there was an overwhelming 891 posts on the topic of “Differences between leadership and management” found in the Leadership Think Tank Group in LinkedIn [http://www.linkedin.com/groupAnswers?viewQuestionAndAnswers=&gid=39683&discussionID=8821024&sik=1269570930525&split_page=46&goback=%2Eana_39683_1269570930525_3_3]. Of course many will make a point that leadership and management can be done separately, and that we do it all the time. They may be correct as well. It may be very well in the “eye of the beholder”. Allow me to go into my inner geek and elaborate on two great phrases that ring true to this type of conundrum.

Priorities... where do I start?

This is a great topic – in fact, I really would like some input on this. I’ve read a couple of leadership books, but I haven’t found much on how to prioritize. Naturally, as a leader we are supposed to make decisions made in the best interest of the group or the team. Is prioritizing tasks the same deal?

When working in corporate settings, usually the manager helps us prioritize projects based on decisions made by “upper management” and/or the board directors, etc. But when you are completely on your own, or asked to make those types of decisions– how do you know what to do first?

Common Thread - Vision

Sorry I am a little late with my weekly entry. I spent a long weekend with my wife in Miami, Florida. Which, I must say, was quite relaxing. Of course, wherever you go now a day, there is always the appropriate technology available to do everything from email to trading stocks. So, I have no excuses. However, when I go on vacation I prefer to un-plug and only carry my cell phone for emergencies and nothing else.

Since I am short on time, I will make a short entry. I will focus on something that we have all come across in our careers in some way shape or form. Even if you have followed a path less travelled, or made your own, you may have actually experienced it first hand. I call it “the common thread”.

Those who know me, you are aware that I have seen the entire span of company sizes. Since I graduated from College in 1997, I have worked for 6 different corporations spanning 5 industries. I have experience in small, medium and global sized companies. Yes, all of this, not including my own company I started with my family years ago – it lasted a few years, but is no more. If I am to identify a “common thread” among all of these companies, it is their drive for being, their motivation: their Vision.

Some companies communicate their vision to their employees better than others

Encouragement

If there is one thing we all can use in tough times is encouragement. After all, are we are all not human and want to know that we are important? (http://pathofaleader.blogspot.com/2010/02/entrepreneurship-leadership-and-feeling.html#more) For me, it is quite difficult to say “I’m doing such a good job – I better keep it up”… not to mention pat myself on the back and feel good about it. It’s almost like tickling yourself – go ahead, try it… I bet you can’t. Before I go any further, this is not to be confused with self-motivation. I can go on and on for years self-motivating myself into doing something that I like or feel is “right”. Anyone who has followed a passion or hobby knows of this quite well. As an example, for over 15 years I practically self-taught several pencil drawing techniques to the point where I can do decent portraits (not perfect, but nice). However, every once in a while, I need someone to tell me how good I am doing. A smile, a “wow”, anything that tells me that my effort paid off.

When people smile and/or thank you for your hard work…