Over the past couple weeks I have seen lots of chatter on Twitter about the differences between a manager and a leader.There is a vast behavioral difference between a boss and a leader. Having “manager” in your title does not mean you have fit the stereotype. There are definitely people that wear the “manager” badge that are in fact leaders.
Leaders vs. Managers
The test that sets a manager apart from a leader is this: Do you have people that work for you or with you?
Let’s examine the for vs. with test a little deeper. A manager is a boss. A manager gives directions and has the mentality that they are on top and everyone else submits to them or works for them. A leader has a team mentality. A leader gets his or her hands dirty and sweats with the people that he or she works with. A leader makes him or herself more available and readily accessible to their team. A leader thrives in a flat or horizontal organizational structure.
What is a Horizontal Organizational Structure
This idea of a horizontal organizational structure has become increasingly more popular. Instead of having a CEO at the top and then Senior Vice Presidents on the next level and under that Vice Presidents and then some people under them making a long line of reports, direct reports and indirect reports, a horizontal organizational structure is more flat. There are less layers. This allows people to have more access to the top level executives. Advancements in communication and technology has made this possible.
A horizontal organizational structure thrives more in a small business setting than in a large business. Having leaders get down on their hands and knees and work at the same level as their employees helps to remove the stigma that comes along with being a manager and turns them into a team player and a co-worker portraying them as a leader instead.
If you are in a position of management, I challenge you to carefully examine how you relate with those you work with. Even if you have people working for you, do you treat them as your minions or do you treat them as your teammates that are in the same game as you running after the same goal. You may be calling the shots, but for ultimate success as a leader, you are also running the plays.