Tom Desrosier
Much of what we believe about ourselves, our world and our politics, we learned from someone else.
Sometimes, years later, we still cling to this stufff, long after its proven wrong.
Go figure...
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Are you a Leader or a Manager?
A question I saw on Linkedin recently.
What? You never heard of Linkedin? You better learn soon!
But that’s another chat. Today, we’re speaking about Leadership vs. Management.
Yes, business’s most celebrated debate… Are you a chest thumping, Tarzan yarping, leader or one of those process driven, pedantic managers that rob the business world of its very heart!
Let me guess… You’re a leader.
The very sound of it conjures in our hearts and minds, this noble spirit, charging up San Juan Hill, his troops, in awe, rallying forthwith. Damn the torpedoes, full steam ahead!”, “Don’t shoot until you see the whites of their eyes!”
That sort of thing.
And of course, contrary, we say, "manager" to describe one of those soulless and inept bean counters, who seem all too often, oblivious, to the very humanity of the workplace. “My way or the highways”, repeatable results”, “budget restraints!” Oh, hear their war cries!
Ho hum.
I remember my younger days as a junior Naval Officer… Me and my like-ilk, would almost spit the word “manager”, so vile on our tongues. We were “leaders” first and foremost! Indeed, let lesser officers take on the moniker of “manager”.
Manager – you are an abomination!
And so forth.
Look… I found this on changing minds.org
And this one on LA Progressive.com…
Yes it seems the moniker of manager is vilified universally!
But no longer by me.
Attend.
Sometimes I lead, sometimes I manage. They are both roles I must play. One allows me to rally the troops to a worthwhile cause, and commit them to a vision and purpose.
But the other, as unglamorous as it may be, causes me to sit for hours in front of a spreadsheet, looking for the money to pay them, yet one more week. It causes me to look for processes that will satisfy a risk-adverse client.
Both noble roles. But yes, I’d rather be rallying the troops to the distant drum, then going blind in front of a computer! Who wouldn’t.
One last idea. This I found at 1000ventures.com 
A little closer to my way of thinking; I don’t know what the difference between coaching and leading in this model might be, but I certainly like the idea of management being one piece, juxtaposed with leadership as the other.
Here’s my idea: Its not these overlapping circles, but a scale we apply, given the circumstances and of course our intrinsic styles and abilities:
Oh, the much aligned manager. As if we could all survive with just leadership.
Tom Desrosier
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