The Misunderstood Manager: A New Perspective on Leadership
By Jayson Krause, Managing Director of Level 52 & Award-Winning Author of The Science Behind Success
There's a narrative that's been played out time and again: the visionary leader versus the villainous manager. It's a dichotomy that's been deeply ingrained in our collective consciousness. But here's a radical proposition: it's time to discard this narrative. It's time to stop villainizing management and start recognizing its integral role in effective leadership.
The notion that leadership and management are two distinct entities is a delusion that's been perpetuated on social media and meme engines. The truth is, the greatest leaders we work with know how to manage really well, and the great managers know how to lead transformationally. They're two sides of the same coin, each complementing and enhancing the other to create maximum value.
Based on over a decade of coaching executives and seeing leaders in action at all levels, I can state wholeheartedly that management is not the antithesis of leadership. It's the backbone that supports it. Setting expectations, giving feedback, coaching performance, and holding accountability - these are not the hallmarks of a villain. They're the tools of a leader who understands the importance of engagement and performance.
Leaders inspire action and innovation, yes. They paint a vision of the future that's so compelling, so irresistible, that people can't help but follow. But without the ability to manage by doing the right things, in the right way, that vision risks being sucked away by the powerful vortex of emails, meetings, and... a lack of management.
The irony is unmistakable. People vilify management, yet complain about its absence when things go wrong. People yearn for visionary leaders, yet they criticize them when they fail to manage effectively and move the needle towards results. It's a paradox that's as baffling as it is detrimental to the lens you put on leadership and management.
The world of memes and armchair experts need to put an end to the villainization of management. Recognize it for what it truly is: an essential component of effective leadership. Stop separating leadership and management, and start integrating them into a cohesive, impactful and healthy ecosystem that leads to a healthy business.
Meaningful leadership is not about being a visionary or a manager. It's about being the right balance of both. It's about inspiring action and managing execution. It's about navigating the chaos of leadership with the compass and direction of management.
So, rewrite the narrative and spread a more productive virus inside your business. Cast management in a new light, not as the villain of the story, but as the unsung hero. Because in the end, the true measure of leadership is not just about inspiring action, but also about managing the journey towards that vision. And that is a story worth telling.
