October 2008

Survey: National Skills Development
The idea of combining manager and leader is not as easy as it seems, writes Linda Doke.Attempting to distinguish between managers and leaders, and analysing the roles they need to play in successful businesses, is an exercise in futility: most organisations do not have enough staff, and require managers to lead, and leaders to manage.

Barrie Bramley, chief information officer at TomorrowToday.biz, says today’s challenging business environment demands that the roles traditionally assumed by managers and leaders should be combined and the same tasks should be executed by the same people.

“Business can no longer afford to have employees schooled in a single discipline. Our managers need to be empowered to lead, and our leaders need to learn the skills of managing,” says Bramley.

The concept of merging the two roles into manager-leader, however, is not simply a matter of teaching people how to do it — and there are no handbooks available.

Frances Wright, MD of Trinitas Consulting, says anyone can be taught how to become a manager, but true leaders are born.

“Anyone can put in the time and training to learn management skills, but not everyone can be an effective leader. Managing is a skill that is not inherent, it has to be formally learned — even by born leaders,” says Wright.

She adds that managers learn how to form cohesive teams to get their people to buy into one vision so that the company moves in the same direction. They are taught to confront issues and performance-manage, so that the actions of every staff member work towards achieving the strategy, goals and objectives of the organisation.

“The crux of managing well lies in getting all team members to do the right things correctly, and convincing every member of the team to buy into a single objective,” says Wright.

Bryan Hattingh, MD of talent management firm Cycan, says all managers should be required to lead, as they have people working for them.

“Management is about overseeing functions, workflows, resource management and other processes in pursuit of effective business and desired outcomes for the business. But these aspects are all procedural and, with the right training, can be learned.

“Effective leadership is about driving the team, setting an example, taking accountability, having humility and, ultimately, taking on a servant mind-set — the CEO should, as leader of the business, be the most dedicated servant of the organisation,” says Hattingh.