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.
“With great power, comes great responsibility”.
Anyone who knows SpiderMan® [http://marvel.com/universe/Spider-Man_(Peter_Parker)] knows this phrase well. Peter Parker’s uncle, Ben Parker, had those words of wisdom for young Pete before he became Spidey. The phrase sums up the fact that you can’t have something grand (title, position, ability, etc.) without the responsibility that goes with it. If we take this ability and use it for ourselves, we are neglecting the true benefits. Managing projects, teams, money, etc. without the responsibility of being a leader to those that are working for project, business, etc. is being negligent of what your abilities really are meant for. We all can be leaders – no matter where in the organization you are. After listening to “The 360 Leader” audio Book by John C. Maxwell [http://www.360degreeleader.com/] you too will realize you do not have to be at the top or have the title to lead. However, if you do have the position or power – you better be ready for the responsibilities that go with it. To ignore “the responsibilities” means you may ignore the human element. It is our responsibility as leaders to connect with our followers and gain their trust and obtain “their permission” to lead them [http://pathofaleader.blogspot.com/2010/02/being-human-leader-and-forging-trust.html]. We should never take it for granted.
“Power without perception is virtually useless and therefore of no true value”
Anime is awesome. I don’t know half of these characters, but I still get action figures of them because they look cool. There is an Anime movie I watched years ago called “Fist of the North Star” (“Hokuto no ken” in Asia). See the full dialogue here [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0142371/quotes?qt0212562]. Basically, there is an early scene in the movie where a now grown and powerful apprentice confronts his master, strokes his own ego and says that that his power is greater than ever - no one can stand against him –… and so on. His master gives him that cool quote above and makes us all realize that if you cannot perceive the world around you, the so-called “power” you think you have is worth nothing. Not only will it be considered delusional, but in essence, the perceived notion of power will corrupt the mind and turn you into someone you are not. If people are managed without leadership, there is the possibility of disregard for human component or gaining true trust. Is it “Ok” to just go around and give people commands, or some type of input and expect an output and demand results?
® SpiderMan is a registered Trademark of Marvel Entertainment Inc. and The Walt Disney Company.
No comments:
Post a Comment