Leadership and managerial qualities are both crucial ingredients in running a business. A leader and a manager are two different individuals, but the difference between them is never obvious. In a small business setup with you as a solo entrepreneur, you’re not considered a leader, but you are a manager. You become both a leader and a manager once you start leading people.
Leadership often overlaps management in meaning.
By definition, management is the process of getting people together to properly utilize available resources to achieve desired business goals and objectives. Leadership, on the other hand, means using one’s influence to enlist the support of others to accomplish a common goal. So there’s a very thin line dividing one from the other. But it’s accepted that leading is one of the basic functions of management.
Leadership is important to business management.
Managing a small business is perhaps the simplest form of entrepreneurship, especially when there are no hires to manage and to lead. But you mustn’t wait until you have people under you before you start combining leadership and management. In fact, it’s even impossible to become a good manager without being a good leader. Business management transcends to business leadership. Your ultimate goal should be to become a business leader you are a leader among your employees, and you are a leader among your competitors. If that were so, then be ready to assume leadership at the earliest stage of your entrepreneurial experience. Be ready to make things happen and to make critical decisions. It takes boldness to make urgent decisions, but it takes wisdom to make smart decisions.
Employees need a manager with effective leadership.
To manage others, you need to manage yourself first. Good leaders are like that they teach by example. You’d be more credible with managing and leading others if you’ve been there and done that. Leadership by example, however, should not be equated with spoon-feeding. Give plenty of room for your employees to discover their skills and strengths. Train them the first few times, and then let them be. This is a good way of knowing who the best hire is and who’s good to fire.
Be conscious about time and timing. Manage your time and that of your employees. Often delays translate to opportunity losses, but remember that some things can definitely wait. The key here is to make priorities; see which ones need immediate attention. If it isn’t the right time, don’t force it. Leadership may be about being aggressive and enthusiastic, but it’s never about being careless. Remember that management is about proper use of resources, so think before you act. Even if you only have a minute, do think.
As an efficient manager, it always good to know how to assess, train, discipline, motivate, direct, and appreciate your employees. But see, these things have something to do with leading people. You can’t get everyone to work for the cause of the business unless you lead and manage them well. Leadership can’t be contained in a box when business matters are at stake, particularly if there are already other people within the organization.
I find that here at MarvelousWeb, we do all we can to bring more leads to our clients but it is up to them to close the deal. There are certain aspects of the process we don’t control. That is why we have this. We want to teach the most effective strategies that lead to a more successful business outside of design and marketing. Stay tuned for more.
