Leading vs. Managing – The Line Most Leaders Don’t See

While global economic conditions continue to remain uncertain, there is one issue that persists for many leaders. Namely, how do I get my team to be more invested in our organization’s goals so they’re more willing to go above and beyond what’s asked of them?

Unless you’re a high-performance organization, it’s a reasonable concern to have. But while leaders tend to put such focus on the performance of their employees, it’s rare for leaders to turn such reflections and assessment on their leadership as well.

After all, let’s be honest – after you’ve served in a leadership role for a number of years and found your leadership groove, those elements of leadership we aspired to keep as the cardinal points of our leadership – inspiring people by connecting their work to something meaningful and purpose-led – slowly gets replaced by the everyday minutiae of just getting things done.

And after almost 20 years of working with executives and senior leaders from Fortune 100 companies, from government agencies, and even the military, I can tell you that many leaders don’t even realized they’ve drifted away from leading people to managing things.

So how can you know whether you’re still leading people, or whether your focus is more on managing things?

In this edition of my Leadership Espresso Shot series, I share four questions that will help you better understand how you’re showing up as a leader in your organization.

Granted, some can seem deceptively simple, but I can tell from working with hundreds of leaders on these questions, giving yourself space to reflect and be honest about your answer can shed some important light on the kind of leader you’re being for your team.

And whether you’ll be able to succeed in bringing out the best in those you lead.