Leadership vs. Management

The biggest difference between managers and leaders is the way they motivate the people who work or follow them. As a Supervisor or Director for an organization, sometimes one must determine which one to use as they both have their benefits.

By definition, managers have subordinates - unless their title is honorary and given as a mark of seniority, in which case the title is a misnomer and their power over others is other than formal authority. Leaders do not have subordinates - at least not when they are leading. Many organizational leaders do have subordinates, but only because they are also managers. But when they want to lead, they have to give up formal authoritarian control, because to lead is to have followers, and following is always a voluntary activity.

For more information, please see Leadership vs. Management article.

The Top Five Mistakes New Leaders Make and How to Avoid Them

After years behind a desk working for someone else and only responsible for your product, you are finally given the opportunity to lead a team and soon you find yourself confronted with a new and unexpected reality. You are now held accountable for the work of others – both their successes, and more troubling, their mistakes and poor performance. One of the easiest pitfalls that new leaders can face is sliding back into "doing" rather than "managing".

The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Kenan-Flagler Business School's Dave Hofmann, Leadership and associate dean of the MBA Program, shares his thoughts on how not to fall victim to the above pitfall or make these other top five new leader mistakes:

* Doing rather than leading
* Not forging relationships with lateral peers
* Not gaining support from above
* Not delegating effectively
* Failing to establish or project credibility

Credible Leadership Delivers Results

Having titles like “Chief Executive Officer” or “Executive Director” are not always linked with “respect” and “credibility” – the former come with the position, the latter must be earned. If you are in a position of leadership (or wish to be in the future), do not mistakenly associate being a leader with having power. Without credibility, power is virtually worthless.

To gain and maintain credibility while building your effectiveness as a leader, read the following article: Trust Me: Credible Leadership Delivers Results by Douglas J. Matthews from Chief Learning Officer – February 2010.