Dear friend,
Trick question: are you a manager or a leader? And what is the difference, anyway?
A big one. Management is about producing stability. Leadership is about disrupting it.
A manager’s role is to ensure the stable recurrence of action. When things go awry, when breakdowns occur, the manager steps in to resolve the situation and restore stability.
A leader’s role is the opposite. It is to upset the norm. When things are not working, the leader steps in to interrupt the cycle, name the breakdown, and trigger change.
So the question was never really manager or leader. Both are essential.
Suppose your marketing campaign is not generating leads. Do not cling to it like a sinking ship. Break the recurrence, declare the breakdown, gather your people to think. That is leadership.
Now suppose an important team member is out sick and the work is stuck. Do not let the breakdown linger. Make the calls, ask for help, bring in contractors, keep the work moving. That is management.
What matters is recognizing when to uphold stability and when to provoke change.
Trying to be only a leader or only a manager is like insisting on eating a steak with only a knife, or only a fork. Do not be a Forkist or a Knifist. You need both to enjoy the meal.
It is not about choosing between being a manager and being a leader.
It is about assessing who you need to be, and when.
I owe this distinction to my teacher, Chauncey Bell.
With care,Saqib