The Difference Between Managing and Leading

TEASER

One of the biggest balancing acts that a leader has to deal with daily is walking the line between bringing a Leader and being a Manager. Both approaches are important, and both have their time, but if you're the wrong one at the wrong moment, your team can get a little confused.  

 Have you ever worked with someone who always seemed open to ideas and suggestions but all of a sudden got locked in on a task and didn't want to hear about anything other than progress? 

 It's likely either you've worked for or been that person. It's also likely that the people around you noticed the switch. 

 So in this episode, we're going to talk about the difference between Leading and managing. Both approaches are needed to finish a job, but they are quite different. 

 So if you aren't always sure when to lead and when to manage, then stick around because the church helper podcast starts right now.

 INTRO

Hey there, and welcome to another edition of the Church Helper Podcast. Our Mission here at Church Helper is to help churches make every decision on purpose. My name is Mike, and I'm excited to help you and your church today by talking about a few easy things you can do to lead your team a little better this year. And today, we're going to spend a few minutes talking about the difference between being a leader and being a manager.  

THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A LEADER AND A MANAGER

Here's maybe a reminder that we all need before we start – being in charge, no matter what you're in charge of, is often very hard. 

 Look to any leader of a church or a major organization, and you will undoubtedly see a combination of good and bad decisions, happy and unhappy team members, and successes and failures. Many things lead to these outcomes, but one of them is a person that knows the difference between being a manager and being a Leader. 

Although both of these titles wield power or the ability to make something happen, the type of power they hold and leading styles aren't the same.  

 In his book "How to Lead When You're Not in Charge," Clay Scroggins laments his early days in t leadership, saying, "we learn at an early age that having the steering wheel is the only way to lead."  As the chapter continues, he shows that people learn early from their experiences that you do not have the authorly if you do not have power. 

 Unfortunately, this is the reason that so many people get the terms Manager and Leader confused, so let's take a minute to differentiate the two.

DEFINING MANAGING

 In the Merriam-Webster dictionary, there are three definitions of the word Manager. It is defined as 

• "a person who conducts business or household affairs," 

• "a person whose work or profession is management," and 

• "a person who directs a team or athlete."

In the book "Leaders, Strategies for taking Charge," the authors define managing as 

• "to bring about, to accomplish, to have charge of or responsibility for, to conduct."

All of these definitions have the same common thread, action. To manage is to take action steps towards accomplishing a goal, typically in a setting where one person dictates to others what to do.  

For example, when building a ten-story building, a project must be managed well to maintain timelines and safely. Electricians, carpenters, plumbers and finishes all need to be well coordinated. How well that happens stems from a manager's ability to read a blueprint and assign the work on time. Without good project management, the task is unlikely to be completed.

The measurable for managing can be summed up in one word: outcome. 

DEFINE LEADERS

Merriam- Webster defines a leader as 

• "a guide or conductor," 

• “a person who has commanding authority or influence" and"

• “a first or principal performer of a group”  

In the book "Leaders, Strategies for taking Charge," leader is defined as"

• influencing and guiding in direction, course, action, opinion.

 Having a leader on your team is essential to every organization because it allows the people who work to answer the most critical question – "why?" 

 Without a leader, an organization has no purpose, just tasks. 

 If outcomes measure a manager, then a leader would be measured by output. 

 Let's take a minute to talk about that and look at three main ways that leading and managing aren't the same. 

NUMBER ONE: MANAGERS HOLD POWER; LEADERS HAVE INFLUENCE 

Managers typically hold a lot of power on a team.

But Leaders hold the influence. 

Let's talk about those things quickly.

 A Manager is someone to look to for instruction and is often proven to be an expert in an area. Because of this, managers always hold a certain amount of power. They need to, or else nothing under their job purview would ever get done. But often, their power is two-dimensional. That is, it is power without influence. In the case of a project manager for a large building being erected, the manager can change the contractors they hire, but they cannot change the blueprint. Their goal is written down for them, "this is what needs to happen, this is what the building needs to look like."

 A leader, in contrast, has influence. Influence comes with the ability to change the plans or lead in a new direction. People are influenced all the time to buy a product or choose a cause to support. Influence often moves people towards action without forcing it.  

  In your church, whether you're on an elders team, a volunteer team or on staff, what you'll find is sometimes you're going to be both at the same time – and that's when meetings or other events get hard. And that's the reason for that is point number two. 

NUMBER TWO: MANAGERS ARE CONCERNED ABOUT THE TASK; LEADERS ARE CONCERNED ABOUT THE PROCESS. 

 When you're managing a project, your primary concern is to get the project completed within the parameters you are given. If this were a building project, you would be concerned with staying on schedule or ensuring that safety guidelines are followed. These tasks are regulated by a specific outcome with little to do with personal growth and more to do with personal liability. The process does not matter as long as a result is correct. Managers are doers. They're list followers. They're the ones that bring something over the finish line.

  In contrast, leaders are often concerned more about the process and the personal growth of those they lead. The outcome matters to leaders, but if a leader can mentor someone through a process, they can leave that person alone knowing they are making good decisions. Leadership doesn't give a full map towards the desired outcome. It teaches people how to be map makers.

NUMBER THREE: MANAGERS ARE CONCERNED ABOUT THE OUTCOME; LEADERS ARE CONCERNED ABOUT THE OUTPUT.  

 Managers typically have one underlying way they are measured: "Did you get the job done the way it was supposed to be done?"

 Because of this, managers operate in a way where the task takes priority over those completing the task. Managers are often less concerned about their employees and more concerned about making sure their employees are doing the right thing.

 In contrast, leaders always want to build up those around them to develop new skills, take more ownership or feel more fulfilled. Leadership concerns itself with the outcome, but because the focus is evenly weighted between the person and the task, it also focuses on output. This approach means that a leader could still be happy with a team member even if the job isn't done correctly. Leaders ask follow-up questions, not to find an issue but to grow the person. Leaders believe that if the output, or personal growth increases, outcome levels increase.

HOW TO BALANCE THE TWO

In your church, managers are leaders are both important roles, and you're going to need both types of people on your team. But because a lot of people get the two confused, here's something important to remember.

 You need to clarify what role you're giving someone when you give it. 

 Every person who serves for you doesn't need to be a great a both, but they do need to know which one they are. Know your people well, play to their strengths, and clearly define what you hope they do.

SPEAKING OF DOING BOTH…YOU SHOULD SPEAK ABOUT DOING BOTH!

Ok, and there's one more thing I want you to consider. If you're a Staff Member at your church or the head of a committee, there are times where you'll need to be both things at once.  

 I remember the first time I saw my Sr Pastor go from "teaching me to make a map" mode to "this is the map, follow it now" mode. It was like a switch flipped. And in those moments, I wondered if I had something wrong. Now I know I hadn't, he just switched to the type of leader the moment required, and I didn't recognize it. And that's the key right there. I felt bad about myself because I didn't recognize the switch.

 So if you're leading a project that you're also managing, it might not be a bad idea to let your team know what your leadership approach will be throughout. If you've got thirty minutes left until people come in the door and your behind – take ten seconds and say, "ok team, I know I like to show you things and teach you along the way, but for the next 30 minutes, I'm just going to bark out a lot of instructions, and I'm going to need them done quickly. This isn't how I always lead, but it's just what we've got to do right now. Don't take anything personally; I'm not upset with you or anything. We've just got to get this done quick."

 It takes no time, and it's really easy. Do that, and your team now knows exactly where they stand and where you stand – and everyone's experience is going t be better for it. 

OUTRO

Hopefully, today's podcast got you thinking about the difference between being a manager and a leader and how you can seamlessly shift between the two roles with your team. 

 Make sure you like and subscribe to the podcast or our YouTube channel, and if you think someone needs to hear this content today but they dropped their phone in the bath, you can go to our website, churchhelper.ca/podcast, to print out a full transcript of today's episode.

Make sure you go back and check out our series that just finished called "Get to Know You Staff" – it was all about how to help Elders and Staff empathize with each other better so that they can be a great team. 

If you've ever got any questions, please reach out to us through email at hello@churchhelper.ca or go to the Get Help Today tab of our website. 

Thanks for taking a few minutes to help your church make every decision on purpose today. I'm Mike, and I'll talk to you again real soon.