Leadership Is Not Just Management

LEADERSHIP IS NOT MANAGEMENT

Especially in our business life, we often use the terms leader and manager interchangeably. In fact, although these concepts intersect at many points, they do not mean the same thing.

Leadership refers to a rank. A manager is a person who supervises the work and performance of a certain group of people, who is an expert in their field, who is responsible for the people working under them, and who is responsible for directing them in a way that will increase the efficiency of the company in question. However, leadership is not just about expertise and rank. Sometimes there is no need for a hierarchy. Among a group of employees, we often come across people with outstanding leadership qualities and inspiring their colleagues in various ways. So how do we really define leadership?

Strategic thinking skills and knowledge are essential qualities to be a good manager in the field. However, ignoring emotions, examining only concrete and technical data, staying on the cognitive plane and thinking about the logical; Contrary to popular belief, it does not constitute a set of correct actions for leadership. A good leader knows that people are the most important part of the "business" and that people are emotional creatures, not just rational robots.

Here are some differences between a leader and a manager:

• Leaders consider the long term. Managers focus on specific goals in front of them and often think of the shorter term. Leaders always try to see a few steps ahead.
• Leaders lead themselves first. Managers give directions to others in line with their existing skills. Leaders, on the other hand, work every day to improve themselves and set an example for others.
• Managers deal with analytical systems and want to make sure that everything goes within a certain framework. Leaders are more flexible. He is aware of the fact that human relations and individual goals are involved in the work. They take care to focus on the “human” side of processes and events.
• Leaders create change, managers maintain the status quo. Leaders do not hesitate to disrupt the existing system in order to create better conditions. Managers, on the other hand, are often strict with rules, processes and structures; They don't want the order to be disrupted.
• Managers set goals, leaders set visions. Managers try to control situations and reach a desired goal by making logical measurements. Leaders, on the other hand, see a possible reality, develop a vision for a greater purpose than themselves, and inspire people with this vision.

Every thought and behavior listed above as the characteristics of a good leader falls within the scope of Emotional Intelligence, which is the set of skills outside of our cognitive and analytical brain capacity. The development of Emotional Intelligence adds many competencies that will enable the person to develop leadership skills in parallel with these.

Experiencing Emotional Intelligence is an important step in becoming a good leader, making a strong impact on people, and increasing the efficiency of your organization.