There is a difference between managing people and leadership. A lot of people get this wrong. If you really want to grow your business and see spectacular results, you should focus more on leadership. In a recent interview with a manager from the growing Columbus-based marketing firm, Vantage Point Consulting, I learned several things that leaders do differently than managers. The areas to focus on are in your vision for the future, your mentoring of others, enthusiasm, delegation, charity work, reward systems, taking blame and giving credit, and focusing on proper teamwork.
Vision: Having the ability to think ahead and share ideas with every member of your team. You are the focal point in your business and you have to set the standards that are to be met. This simple first step is the difference between a successful and healthy business and an utter failure to meet your goals.
Being a mentor: Sharing what you know is more important than just knowing a lot. Mentoring other people in your organization makes your job easier down the road. You will have competent people that can run projects and manage other people. Coaching and mentoring another person also shows that person that you care about their success and well-being. Teaching someone what you know and replacing yourself also adds value to your organization.
Get into what you are doing and have enthusiasm. Don't just complete tasks. Have pride in your work. Management at Vantage Point Consulting (Columbus, OH) takes pride in every aspect of their position. The managers don't only complete tasks, they are enthusiastic about doing them. They know that the little details contribute to the bigger goals of the company. Although the little tasks aren't as fun, the managers' enthusiasm makes them look that way. Therefore, the employees follow suit in their tasks.
Delegate tasks: Delegating the work that someone else besides you can do will free you up to conduct higher level activities. Training someone to do something that matches up with their strengths will ultimately give you more time on your hands to drive performance.
Give back: Get involved with your local community sends a great message to those that work with you. Volunteering your time and energy to noteworthy causes or making donations for the same opens doors, shows compassion and in general should provide you with a good feeling. You will feel rewarded by the good deeds you provide.
Work and Play: Vantage Point Consulting teaches us if nothing else how to appreciate the people that work under you by celebrating the victories. Whether it is a cookout, a night out on the town or a paintball excursion, this is a team building exercise that everyone can enjoy and shows you do not forget to reward good work.
Give credit where it's due: Bragging about how great and productive you are is definitely not the way to go. Focusing on how great your employees are is. Any time something doesn't go according to plan, take some of the blame. Any time something goes great, give your employees all of the credit. A leadership position is a selfless one. Many people get that wrong.
Encourage cooperation. Many small businesses in America lack the staff or resources to effectively delegate everything. So, the best ones encourage and support effective teamwork. Large companies and small start-ups are at the mercy of teamwork. If someone isn't pulling their weight, coach them. If that doesn't help get better results, consider letting that person go, or assign them to a different team.
My interview with management at Vantage Point Consulting led to knowing that the company's goals are to make management candidates into strong leaders. Providing the tools and skills to success in the business field and making a difference in every position leaves no one without guidance or left behind. Management is different than leadership. Leaders create other leaders while managers keep systems and processes in place. Knowing the difference will ultimately help your business grow.
Vision: Having the ability to think ahead and share ideas with every member of your team. You are the focal point in your business and you have to set the standards that are to be met. This simple first step is the difference between a successful and healthy business and an utter failure to meet your goals.
Being a mentor: Sharing what you know is more important than just knowing a lot. Mentoring other people in your organization makes your job easier down the road. You will have competent people that can run projects and manage other people. Coaching and mentoring another person also shows that person that you care about their success and well-being. Teaching someone what you know and replacing yourself also adds value to your organization.
Get into what you are doing and have enthusiasm. Don't just complete tasks. Have pride in your work. Management at Vantage Point Consulting (Columbus, OH) takes pride in every aspect of their position. The managers don't only complete tasks, they are enthusiastic about doing them. They know that the little details contribute to the bigger goals of the company. Although the little tasks aren't as fun, the managers' enthusiasm makes them look that way. Therefore, the employees follow suit in their tasks.
Delegate tasks: Delegating the work that someone else besides you can do will free you up to conduct higher level activities. Training someone to do something that matches up with their strengths will ultimately give you more time on your hands to drive performance.
Give back: Get involved with your local community sends a great message to those that work with you. Volunteering your time and energy to noteworthy causes or making donations for the same opens doors, shows compassion and in general should provide you with a good feeling. You will feel rewarded by the good deeds you provide.
Work and Play: Vantage Point Consulting teaches us if nothing else how to appreciate the people that work under you by celebrating the victories. Whether it is a cookout, a night out on the town or a paintball excursion, this is a team building exercise that everyone can enjoy and shows you do not forget to reward good work.
Give credit where it's due: Bragging about how great and productive you are is definitely not the way to go. Focusing on how great your employees are is. Any time something doesn't go according to plan, take some of the blame. Any time something goes great, give your employees all of the credit. A leadership position is a selfless one. Many people get that wrong.
Encourage cooperation. Many small businesses in America lack the staff or resources to effectively delegate everything. So, the best ones encourage and support effective teamwork. Large companies and small start-ups are at the mercy of teamwork. If someone isn't pulling their weight, coach them. If that doesn't help get better results, consider letting that person go, or assign them to a different team.
My interview with management at Vantage Point Consulting led to knowing that the company's goals are to make management candidates into strong leaders. Providing the tools and skills to success in the business field and making a difference in every position leaves no one without guidance or left behind. Management is different than leadership. Leaders create other leaders while managers keep systems and processes in place. Knowing the difference will ultimately help your business grow.
About the Author:
Vantage Point Consulting Inc Columbus Ohio hosts a wide variety of leadership managerial topics. To view some of them, please visit http://www.linkedin.com/company/vantage-point-consulting-inc.
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