Exploring Leadership - Is there a Goldilock's principle / theory in business in how we manage and lead people?
"Too much, too little or just right"
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Is there a Goldilocks principle / theory for managing and leading organizations?
Can too much of control be really good? How do we know or quantify how much control or how much to let go off? How much of leadership trait or how much management trait should be implemented?
Let us look at the difference between Leadership and Management.
Management Traits Leadership Traits
- Detail Orientated - Big Picture
- Tactical - Strategic
- Goals, Project, Task - Vision, Strategy, Execution
- Efficiency - Effectiveness
- Follow vision - Forge Vision
- Left brain / linear thinking - Right brain / Lateral thinking
- Process results - Progress
- People are the means - People are the reasons
- Task more important than people - People more important than task
- External frame of reference - Internal frame of reference
- Sensing - seek external data - Intuitive- seek internal guidance
- level headed, Realistic, Practical -Visionary, Dreamer, Romantic
- Golden eggs : Productivity, Production - Goose : Production Capacity
- Tunnel vision - Panoramic vision
In http://www.skillsyouneed.com/lead/leader-vs-manager.html have the skills that are needed in each of them.
A Manager A Leader
Administers Innovates
Maintains Develops
Focus on system and structures Focus on people and emotions
Controls systems and People Inspires People
Accepts the way things are Challenges the way things are
Has a short range view Has a long range perspectives
Manages tasks Leads People
Let us look at the difference between Leadership and Management.
Management Traits Leadership Traits
- Detail Orientated - Big Picture
- Tactical - Strategic
- Goals, Project, Task - Vision, Strategy, Execution
- Efficiency - Effectiveness
- Follow vision - Forge Vision
- Left brain / linear thinking - Right brain / Lateral thinking
- Process results - Progress
- People are the means - People are the reasons
- Task more important than people - People more important than task
- External frame of reference - Internal frame of reference
- Sensing - seek external data - Intuitive- seek internal guidance
- level headed, Realistic, Practical -Visionary, Dreamer, Romantic
- Golden eggs : Productivity, Production - Goose : Production Capacity
- Tunnel vision - Panoramic vision
In http://www.skillsyouneed.com/lead/leader-vs-manager.html have the skills that are needed in each of them.
A Manager A Leader
Administers Innovates
Maintains Develops
Focus on system and structures Focus on people and emotions
Controls systems and People Inspires People
Accepts the way things are Challenges the way things are
Has a short range view Has a long range perspectives
Manages tasks Leads People
Can leadership attributes be thought or transferred or there need to be an environment to have both attributes of leadership and management?
"The common sense conclusion of this book is that leadership potential can be developed, but it does have to be there in the first place." ~ Adair http://www.stellarleadership.com/docs/new_articles/Can%20Leadership%20be%20Learned%20(Stellar).pdf
'Goldilocks on Management' by Mayer, she quotes a 1996 article by Farkes & Wetlaufer noting that five distinct approaches to management that usually result from the educational process. They are :-
1. Strategy approach
2. Change approach
3. Human Asset approach
4. Box approach
5. Expertise approach.
Abraham Zalenik wrote that the difference between managers and leaders lies in the conception they hold, deep in their psyches of chaos and order. Managers embrace process, seek stability and control. Instinctively try to resolve problems quickly - many a times fully understanding a problem's significance.
Leaders, in contrast, tolerate chaos and lack of structures and are willing to delay closure in order to understand the issues more fully. He argues that business leaders have much more in common with artist, scientist and other creative thinkers than they do with managers.
Organizations need both managers and leaders to succeed BUT developing both requires a reduced focus on logic and strategic exercises in favour of an environment where creativity and imagination are permitted to flourish.
In the article or journal, Consulting Psychology Journal Practice and Research 2011, Vol. 63 No 2, 89-109, STRENGTHS, STRENGTHS OVERUSED AND LOPSIDED LEADERSHIP, By Robert B Kaiser and Darren V Overfield, reflected that it would be almost impossible to have management attributes and leadership attributes in a balance. Their argument is that when an individual learns more of their weakness they tend to do more of their weakness and as a result it may constitute to a overused strength or a lopsided leadership. See http://insightu.net/content/pdf/strengths.pdf
Abraham Zalenik wrote that the difference between managers and leaders lies in the conception they hold, deep in their psyches of chaos and order. Managers embrace process, seek stability and control. Instinctively try to resolve problems quickly - many a times fully understanding a problem's significance.
Leaders, in contrast, tolerate chaos and lack of structures and are willing to delay closure in order to understand the issues more fully. He argues that business leaders have much more in common with artist, scientist and other creative thinkers than they do with managers.
Organizations need both managers and leaders to succeed BUT developing both requires a reduced focus on logic and strategic exercises in favour of an environment where creativity and imagination are permitted to flourish.
Leaders, in contrast, tolerate chaos and lack of structures and are willing to delay closure in order to understand the issues more fully. He argues that business leaders have much more in common with artist, scientist and other creative thinkers than they do with managers.
Organizations need both managers and leaders to succeed BUT developing both requires a reduced focus on logic and strategic exercises in favour of an environment where creativity and imagination are permitted to flourish.
In the article or journal, Consulting Psychology Journal Practice and Research 2011, Vol. 63 No 2, 89-109, STRENGTHS, STRENGTHS OVERUSED AND LOPSIDED LEADERSHIP, By Robert B Kaiser and Darren V Overfield, reflected that it would be almost impossible to have management attributes and leadership attributes in a balance. Their argument is that when an individual learns more of their weakness they tend to do more of their weakness and as a result it may constitute to a overused strength or a lopsided leadership. See http://insightu.net/content/pdf/strengths.pdf
Is there a goldilocks principle's theory in managing and leading businesses?
The answer is, there is a way to have a balance.
The "I/WE" must not be the focus the focus point.
The "I/WE" must not be the focus the focus point.
The focus must be the task at hand and the objective is to lead people and manage process.
How do we lead people and manage process.There are no specifics but two important things must be present in achieving a balance of leadership and management.
1. Learning Environment / Organization culture
and
2. Employee Engagement
A learning organization is an environment which is able to be open and have information flow to groups and individuals and departments to carry out a certain project or task. Information is shared among employers and employees and discussions even debates arises to get the best way of work to be done. More can be read from Peter Senge and other articles
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Employee engagement will then be easily accepted in the organization. 5 levers of employee engagement by Michael Cardus is the one I prefer best. It also can have MBO, Management By Objective in a way with mentorship while managing and leading projects.
http://www.create-learning.com/docs/The5LeversofEmployeeEngagement.pdf
5 levers of Employee Engagement
5 lever of Employment Engagement is a little different from the 5 level of hierarchy. Although there are similarities its the way the engagement is reflected as a equation.
1. Management + Leadership = Competent Manager
2. Proper time + Quality + Quantity + Requirements = Contextual Goals
3. MBO + Mentoring = Objective Matrices
4. Tools + Materials + Consultations + Training + Staff etc = Resources
5. Competent Management + Contextual Goals + Objective matrices + Resources = Autonomy
The Learning Organization, The Employee Engagement and The TECHNOLOGY
Managers will now need to understand and lead the members in accordance. Informations are shared among all to accomplish task and project works to be completed successfully. As the work force becomes more well educated and more skillful so are individual attitudes to change and work processors change in accordance.
References
http://www.sefip.gov.uk/pdf/marketplace/Developing_a_true_organisational_learning_culture.pdf
https://porthills.wikispaces.com/file/view/Peter+senge-learning+organization.pdf
http://www.ntu.edu.sg/home/adjoseph/Webpages/Publications/aom10.pdf
http://insightu.net/content/pdf/strengths.pdf
http://www.advancedpeoplestrategies.co.uk/files/_StopOverdoingStrengthsHBR2009.pdf
