In the past, we differentiated leadership from management, saying that leadership is about not only allowing you to lead but also setting the stage for others to lead — allowing others to feel the ownership.

People call it many different things, from servant leader to leading from behind. The truth is, much of it is about managing the pathway — understanding which resources to bring in at what time. What tools do you use? Do you coach, mentor, advise, or bring in experts in the field? These are the things to look at to differentiate your leadership and management.

Leaders can be in any position. They don’t have to have a title. Leadership is the ability to allow others to see a pathway for themselves. That’s what Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. did in his wonderful “I have a Dream” speech. He allowed everyone to feel they owned a piece of that dream. Leadership is allowing everyone to imagine what the dream is our could be.

I have a dream… everyone can relate to that. Simplifying the message, letting the flags be held by others, allowing them to define it however they choose is part of leadership — engaging others in wanting to follow you and your path.

Management, then is something like: We have this dream and want to create a march. Management is allocating the resources —When and where will we hold this march? Who will attend? 

Leadership is saying: This is where we’re going to go, this problem is worth solving.

ISM, for instance, provides entrepreneurship or SME development for organizations that want to engage entrepreneurs in their community. If you are an economic development agency and you want to do an entrepreneurship program, we come in, do some research, and say, This is your community, this is what you have, this is how the programs should look.

You then understand the flag we are putting out there, choose to follow it, then think about what you have to do to manage the pathway.

BEFORE YOU GO

We see our blogs as opportunities for dialogue. Please share your thoughts as comments.

1. What is your leadership style?

2. What is your management style?

3. How do you leverage these two skills?