A Different Kind of Reflection

I write mostly about education, training, and workforce capability, but I wanted to contribute something slightly different to the L&D, Educator, and People Leader conversation: a reflection on leadership and management.

The literature consensus is that leadership and management are indivisible but not the same. Ultimately, leadership and management complement each other rather than compete.

Whatever your current role - whether you're onboarding new graduates, taking an influx of students on placement, or knee-deep in preparing your workforce for the strengthened Aged Care Standards - we all find ourselves balancing the demands of leadership and management, sometimes without even realising it.

We Need Leaders and Managers

Leadership has been a necessary trait since the advent of humankind. From 2.5 million years ago, when the genus Homo first used stone tools in Africa, and throughout the 65,000 years that Homo sapiens have lived in Australia, to the present era, we have always yearned for leadership. The basic instincts of humankind generate a desire for personal safety and a sense of belonging, which leaders instil.

We often hear loud political calls for a ‘leadership crisis’ and, in healthcare, demands for ‘more leaders. Clear visions, purpose and creativity inherent in leadership offer direction to people during uncertainty.

However, while history typically references management less than leadership, the administration and efficient use of resources required by a group to function indeed reinforce that management gives stability. The control, order, and consistency of good management settle, soothe, and stabilise the ship while we sail through “white waters.”

Rapid and unpredictable change demands visionary leadership to navigate uncertainty, while strong management provides stability.

Getting the Balance Right

A lopsided dependency on either management or leadership has huge ramifications for an organisation, its culture, and its teams.

• An organisation that lacks leadership becomes stagnant.
• One that lacks management descends into chaos.
• Too much management? Creativity and development suffer, and people are stifled under rigid order and efficiency.
• Too much leadership? Constant change and lack of control create instability.

In an ongoing climate of volatility, uncertainty, complexity and ambiguity, we cannot afford an unhealthy dependency on either management or leadership.

The solution? Balance and collaboration between the two to create a resilient workplace and workforce.

How Do Leaders and Managers Differ?

We can compare and contrast so many characteristics that distinguish leaders from managers. Common characteristics often distinguish the two:

• Managers: Follow and create procedures, instruct, seek stability, ask 'how,' and focus on the present.
• Leaders: Pursue visions, inspire, thrive on chaos, ask 'why,' and look to the future.

While people may lean toward one style, most fall somewhere in between. Recognising this spectrum allows individuals to develop both leadership and management skills.

If you still want to know where you might fit, then do a self-assessment and see how you feel afterwards! Managers tend to fall at the analytical, controlled, structured end of the spectrum, whereas leaders generally find themselves at the visionary, flexible, uncontrolled, creative, and sometimes unexpected end.

The Role of Values

We aren’t talking about orientation or induction training here! One’s attitudes and assumptions form orientations. Leadership and management are shaped more by attitudes and assumptions than by personality. The values that we most naturally have steer us towards a certain disposition.

Successful leaders and managers share core values such as:

• Honesty
• Integrity
• Empathy

When combined with technical expertise, these traits allow individuals to excel in either or both roles.

Setting Boundaries for Success

Understanding the differences between leadership and management is helpful and practical so that clear boundaries for roles and expectations are created.

• Leaders need vision. A clear direction is essential for guiding teams. Know where you all need to go, and how to bring everyone along for the journey.
• Managers need connection. Understanding team strengths and individual motivations ensures productivity. Know what makes your team tick.

Regardless of which role you may find yourself in, time is the most valuable commodity of the manager and leader. Spend it wisely connecting with people, understanding what makes the individual unique and how to trigger their strengths.

Avoiding Burnout

While commitment is expected, without healthy boundaries, leaders and managers who are too personally invested in any role or organisation are exposed to a high risk of personal failure. Leaders and managers must:

• Set realistic expectations
• Build trust and rapport over time
• Avoid overcommitting emotionally to organisational outcomes

Celebrating All Contributions

While role clarity avoids confusion, labelling, pigeonholing, or placing a title on someone is dangerous. Individuals, like teams, products, companies and economies, change over time. One’s readiness, desire, ability or acceptance of being a leader or a manager is likely to wax, wane and evolve over time.

Celebrating and appreciating the value of all contributions is key. Let’s shoutout the:

• Entrepreneurs who challenge the status quo.
• Managers who optimise the present.
• Leaders who anticipate the future.
• People who give their all.

Leadership and management will continue to be debated, but those who embrace both can drive real impact. Instead of viewing them as opposing forces, successful professionals find ways to integrate both into their approach.

As Eleanor Roosevelt might put it:

Behind every great leader is an even greater manager - and vice versa!

A Personal Reflection

I naturally feel more like a leader but thrive more in controlled, stable environments.

The best managers I know and have had the pleasure of working with are stable. They show up to work every day as they did the previous. They are steady. What you see is what you get: calm, in control, and dependable.

The best leaders I know, including the current and previous CEO of Ausmed, have endless energy. They are constantly thinking at least six months into the future, are charismatic, and thrive on being around people.

Perhaps the key to success is recognising the strengths of both and knowing when to lean into each.

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