President Ike Eisenhower once demonstrated the difference between leadership and management to his cabinet by putting a piece of string in a straight line on the conference table. He then asked one of the attendees to put his finger on one end of the string and push it. The string, of course, bunched up in an ugly bundle. He then asked the man to pull the string with his finger on one end. The string straightened up in a nice neat line and followed the finger across the table. "This", said Ike "is the difference between managing and leading."
I love this visual example and use it often. Managing people is often pushing them to do what you want them to do. People resist being pushed and if you manage this way you usually end up with a chaotic organization. Leadership, on the other hand, is pulling people with you. When you pull people they usually follow and following the leader is what we really want out of our team.
How do you get people to follow you rather than resist? The two words that will help you the most are Honesty and Integrity. Have a clear vision of where the company is going. As corny as it sometimes sounds, a good, clear and well communicated mission statement wouldn't hurt either. Encourage your staff to set career and personal goals. Let them know when you are proud of them. Be interested in how your team thinks things can improve and let them express those ideas.
Mike Shannon is the owner of Shamrock Business Coaching, a coaching practice that helps business owners increase profits. You can visit Shamrock Business Coaching on the web at: http://www.ShamrockCoaching.com.
article_text... Read More
article_text... Read More
article_text... Read More
article_text... Read More
article_text... Read More
article_text... Read More
article_text... Read More
Which one is a goal? I will lose 15 pounds I want to run a marathon Quit smoking All of the above None of the above The correct answer is (5) - none of the above... Read More
[Abounding Abundant Ample Ways To Boost Your Growth!] This may come as a surprise but there are reliable,effective and powerful ways to improve your ability to learnnew things... Read More
Abraham Lincoln Is Still Alive President Jimmy Carter tells in his memoirs that a trip to Gettysburg and a discussion about Abraham Lincoln helped achieve a breakthrough in the Camp David negotiations... Read More
In the hit comedic movie Groundhog Day, Bill Murray's character, Phil Conners, is caught up in a time warp, doomed to live the same day over and over until he gets it right... Read More
Most of us find ourselves in a position to help others achieve more of their potential than we realize... Read More
On airplanes, in restaurants, in the newspaper and on television, I often hear people saying their businesses are not growing to their satisfaction or that they are not reaching their objectives... Read More
You're a bright, successful business executive making good money and managing a capable staff of accomplished professionals... Read More