OK – this is not a new topic by any stretch of the imagination. If you Google the topic, you will get a bajillion results. Ultimately it comes down to how you relate to the people that are in your area of influence. I had a great conversation with a church leader the other day on this topic. We talked about people that think they are Leaders, but are really Managers. And of course, there are people who think they are Managers, but they really are Leaders. So what makes the difference and does it really matter?
Yes.
It matters because some of the people that you are leading/managing can work for one, but not the other. Here is what I mean.
There are people that need a large vision cast that captures their attention and motivates them to look for ways to make that vision into a reality. They will ask general questions to see what the boundaries are for the task, and then make things happen. They need to be checked on through out the project but given lots of room to make it happen. Give them a “Why” and watch them do incredible things.
There are other people who really don’t care about the big picture, but simply want to know exactly “what” it is that you want them to do. They want very specific instruction with a list if possible. They want feedback on each and every step.
This first person needs a leader.
The second needs a manager.
Look at the people that work for you and seem to be very content with how you lead/manage them. If they are in the first group—congratulations, you are a leader. If they fall into the second group — congratulations, you are a manager.
So which is more important to a church or organization? The one that is effective.
