Let’s set the record straight.
Everyone who is a great leader isn’t necessarily a great manager. And great managers aren’t necessarily great leaders.
So when it comes to the Leaders vs. Managers debate, where do you land?
Here’s a list of 17 traits that separate leadership and management. Go down the list and check off which ones match you. Most of us have some qualities of each. For example, do you have 10 Leader traits and 7 Manager traits? Or the reverse? Are you happy with the answer?
No matter how talented you are, having to have a difficult conversation with an employee is not something you look forward to.
Not only does it cause anxiety, such conversations can be morale-sapping and are full of legal minefields.
So it is key not to make mistakes when having those conversations. Here are the 10 biggest mistakes you can make.
There are a gazillion videos about leadership on YouTube, from Amway to Churchill to TED Talks, and beyond.
But if you just want to breeze through some insightful, fun and focused videos, these nine will do the trick.
Each of these brief (most of them are under 3 minutes) leadership videos succeeds at capturing an essence of leadership at its simplest, yet most profound.
Alert: You’re going to want to share these!
And the categories are:
How can so many high achievers consistently leave work in time to be home for dinner with their family?
How was former Campbell Soup CEO, Doug Conant, able to spend 30-minutes a day writing thank you notes, and leave for home at a reasonable time?
Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg runs a company worth 230 billion dollars, and she still manages to leave the office at 5:30 every day. How does she do it?
How does the person with the biggest job on the planet, President Barack Obama, maintain his commitment to his family that he will have dinner with them every night at 6:30?
Back when I was young and dumb, I worked over 100 hours each week as I fought desperately to lead my fast growing startup. I skipped meals to get a few more things crossed off the to-do list. I slept less in the misguided notion of increasing productivity. And worst of all, I traded precious hours with the family just so I could get a few more things done each week.
It was only after painful failures in both business and my marriage that I was forced to discover three keys to approaching work and life, which oddly increased my results in both domains.
“To give (the boss a present) – or not to give.
That is the question!”
(With apologies to William Shakespeare.)
For many in the office, this is a HUGE mind-blowing decision: Do they or don’t they buy their boss a present for Christmas?
Well, if you want my opinion, and you probably don’t, but since I am writing this I’ll give it to you anyway:
DON’T DO IT!
You have no idea how very dangerous office gift giving can truly be.
Go ahead and look it up!
There are a slew of “what not to buy your boss” stories out there, and even more stories of innocent gifts that went horribly wrong!
So if you’re the boss, do the humane thing and politely tell your staff that while this is the season of perpetual giving, you’d rather see them buy for their family and friends or give to charity — in lieu of you.
However, if you work for a company where everyone buys holiday presents for the boss, here’s a list of gifts you should avoid like the plague!
“I can’t get out from under this week. The minute I cross one thing off my to-do list, three more take its place!”
Sound familiar? It’s a recurring problem resourceful managers face.
Admit it – there’s something motivating about thriving under pressure. The more we box ourselves into a corner with deadlines, to-do lists and obligations, the more revved-up we get.
But we need to do a better job of spreading things around.
It may seem harmless, but avoiding telling an employee the truth during a performance evaluation can be a really expensive mistake.
Yet many managers do just that – sugarcoat performance reviews.
They give a pablum review, steer clear of giving the employee an honest appraisal. And stamp it “Satisfactory, meets requirements.”
In the long run, they pay for it — one way or the other.
Get the full picture with this ResourcefulManager SlideShare.
Our mothers’ advice still rings in our ears:
“If you can’t say something nice, don’t say anything at all.”
But sometimes our inner-snark gets the best of us.
Here are 47 snarky comments you’re dying to say to your fellow workers – but shouldn’t.
Hate speaking in front of a group? Aren’t receptive to negative feedback? Worried that you’ll fail?
It’s OK.
Most leaders feel the same – at least a little – at one time or another.
But if you recognize and work around the most common leadership fears that hold back good leaders you’ll become a great one.
Here are the six most common fears people in leadership positions face and tips on how to overcome them.
Wouldn’t it be great if star employees never left?
But we all know, that at some point something will happen that’ll cause one of your “A” players to leave.
What that “something” is may not be in your control.
Problem is, employee turnover costs companies A LOT of money!
Direct employee replacement costs can reach as high as 50% to 60% of an employee’s annual salary, according to the Society for Human Resource Management. And when other factors are included, total costs can soar as high as 90% to 200% of an annual salary.
That’s some serious moola!
So what can you do?
Pay attention to your employees and watch for signs that they may be getting restless, and nip it in the bud.
The typical signs are:
![Leaders vs. Managers: 17 Traits That Set Them Apart [Infographic]](https://www.resourcefulmanager.com/wp-content/uploads/leadermanagerArt.png)
![Why Bad Stuff Happens When You Sugarcoat Performance Reviews [SlideShare]](https://www.resourcefulmanager.com/wp-content/uploads/sugarcoatart2.png)
