The terms Managers, Leaders and Leadership are often used interchangeably. At Organisational Coaching Hub, we believe it is important to understand their differences.
Managers vs Leaders
A typical leadership development programme for managers will ask people to distinguish Managers from Leaders. For Warren Bennis, a pioneer of leadership studies, “Managers do things right, whilst Leaders do the right thing”. For Bennis, Managers accept the status quo whilst Leaders challenge it; Managers ask how and when, whilst Leaders ask what and why.
In his paper “What Leaders Really Do” John Kotter, a Harvard Business School professor and change management expert, distinguishes the two along similar lines, but sees them both as necessary within organisations. Even-so, it’s hard not to be persuaded that leaders are seen more favourably than managers.
Perhaps that’s for a good reason. Managers work at the individual level with their line reports, like a hub-and-spoke. They manage one person at a time rather than everyone together. Even when together, like during team meetings, the manager uses the opportunity to cascade information. Leaders on the other hand work with everyone as a whole team, inspiring ways of working together which are greater than the sum-of-the-parts. They are associated with performance synergy and as such are deemed more valuable to an organisation. In summary, Managers manage direct reports whilst Leaders lead teams.
Leaders vs Leadership
But then, what is the difference between Leaders and Leadership? Even when I’ve asked this question of professionals in the field, they are surprised as they haven’t ever thought about it. Indeed, take a look at this CIPD report on leadership development. This shows how not asking the question can lead to mediocre insights in developing leadership rather than leaders.
In all cases there is an assumption that Leaders and Leadership are the same thing. Yet if that is the case then leaders should be able to develop their leadership in isolation of the teams they lead. This is, of course, what happens in most MBAs and other leadership development programmes which assumes leadership is a skillset which can be learned individually. Yet the evidence base indicates that such isolated learning does not transfer into the workplace. The increase in the study of followership pays attention to the other vital ingredient in leadership – the follower. And if leadership includes the follower, then Leaders and Leadership are different. But how? And why does it matter?
Leadership is a Relationship, not a Person, to Develop
At Organisational Coaching Hub we recognise Leadership as a relationship between Leaders and Followers. Whatever Bennis or Kotter says, someone who isn’t followed can’t really call themselves a leader! This means followers have power and it’s this power, combined with the power of the leader that generates leadership. Acts of great leadership are only known because people follow: Caesar crossing the Rubicon; Suffragettes winning the vote for women; Gandhi’s campaigns of mass civil disobedience.
Some of these examples might not fit with how people expect leaders to act, but because they have followers, they are true examples of what leadership is about. Leaders are nothing without followers. Leadership is therefore about both leaders and followers.
Why does this matter?
Leadership development typically focuses on Leaders not Leadership. MBAs for instance develop individuals outside of their leading context. They might be better as individuals, even as potential leaders. However, they haven’t developed any leadership because they haven’t developed relationships with followers. For Leadership to be improved we need to focus on developing the relationships on both sides. We need to open the development up to Followers. Does that mean sending everyone on development programmes or coaching everyone in sight? No. But we can engage the wider organisational system, deliberately when we develop Leaders. We can design approaches that have a positive impact on followers, that stimulate development beyond the leader, and that enhance the relationship between leader and follower. For development programs, that might mean designing interventions which deliberately engage the leader with her team.
The beneficiaries of leader development should not be limited to individual leaders. Leadership development is about improving, strengthening, perhaps even transforming the relationship between leader and follower. This is the real power behind leadership development programs. At OCH we believe everyone deserves to be led well. This reflects our position that leaders don’t lead in isolation, and nor should they be developed in isolation. Whether its a cohort of leaders, a leadership team or an individual executive coaching assignment, at OCH we recognise our impact goes beyond the person we are working with.
