Leading Vs. Managing

John Maxwell is quoted as saying,? “A leader is one who knows the way, goes the way, and shows the way.”

Leadership is a tough one.? What do they do?? How do you figure the ROI on the soft skills that come with leadership? Many folks in the world have titles that insinuate leadership:? manager, team lead, VP, CEO, director, and the list goes on.? As we all no doubt know, the title does mean much of anything if the skills, activity, humbleness, desire and growth are not with the person who holds the title.? John Maxwell hits it on the mark in my opinion with his quote.??

Think about someone who you have known that was a great leader - maybe someone you worked for, read about, grew up with, anyone you felt did it well.? What did they do?? Chances are they had a strong set of soft skills.? Soft skills are crucial for leadership and will make the difference between your team wanting to exert maximum effort for maximum results for you and the company, and simply showing up and waiting for the clock to tell them that they can leave.

Soft skills include:? Communication.? Growth Mindset.? Emotional Intelligence.? Work Ethic.? Adaptability.? Of course, there are more than what this list will mention, but these five are a solid place to start.

Communication is the ability to articulate ideas clearly to others and also listen to them and clarify what they are telling you, in return.? It is the exchange of information between people.? Leaders are great communicators in that they can get their ideas across in a simple effective way, and they can also actively listen and accept the feedback provided.

In a nutshell, a growth mindset allows you to believe that intelligence can be developed. With this mindset, you embrace challenges, utilize mistakes as learning experiences and accept new knowledge and lessons, fostering them into continued growth.? Having this mindset as a leader is imperative, as you are able to demonstrate to others how to have one as well.? This will motivate people to work from more of the “let’s find a better way” standpoint and less from “this is what works, because it worked 15 years ago”. If you’re not consistently in the game, your mind and body are not properly conditioned. Both staying conditioned, and knowing when it’s time to get back in shape for the game you’ve been away from, are determining factors that set leaders apart from managers in the Growth Mindset category.?

Emotional Intelligence.? Part of this is knowing who you are, how you are perceived by others and the ability to understand and empathize with others.? Managing your emotions, avoiding peaks and valleys, remaining stable and approachable - all help leaders build a confident following with steadfast staying power.

Work Ethic.? Life happens, and at times even the leaders need to flex their schedule to accommodate.? However, what examples might you set if you are leaving before your team, daily?? Great leaders work and they work hard alongside their team. Your team is a reflection of you. That’s not to say there is fault in taking a break every now and then. This shows your team that everyone has the right to a break, encouraging them to recharge. You’re choosing to lead by example, but there are two sides to that coin. If you’re consistently blasting your personal calls over speaker phone, watching videos on social media, taking extended lunch hours, only to later turn around and berate your team for results that are lower than expected, that does not build the case for your leadership skills. You are leading by example and it may be time to ask yourself what example you might be setting and what behaviors you are displaying.? If you are setting poor standards, that will equate to poor results.?

One thing I was taught by a mentor of mine was to never forget what got me where I am now.? Smart work and hard work are always needed.

Adaptability.? “This is the way we’ve always done it,” is a quote that has pissed off every great leader that I have encountered. The ability to adapt to new conditions, new situations, and pivot in new markets is not only needed to thrive, but in many cases it is required in order to survive. Think about Blockbuster vs. Netflix, just one incredible example of how the lack of adaptability caused a once very successful company to crash.? The ability to see, feel and adapt to new situations and changes is imperative to operate as a successful leader.

These aforementioned soft skills are part of the leadership skill set that are oftentimes overlooked because how do you attach ROI to communication?? What is the expense for poor morale?? These soft skills are, in my opinion, the separator between managers with titles, and true leaders.??

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