Comments on: Warren Bennis: Still valid after all these years?

By: Learning: Becoming an Integrated Person « The Eyeslit-Crypt

Learning: Becoming an Integrated Person « The Eyeslit-Crypt — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 09:20:47 +0000

[...] Warren Bennis: Still valid after all these years? [...]

By: Leaders vs. Managers

Leaders vs. Managers — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 22:40:27 +0000

[...] been meaning to write about this topic for some time and recently came across this post on Slacker Manager, one of the more interesting blogs around. This post, like the preceding ones at LeadershipTurn [...]

By: Leader vs. manager 7/7

Leader vs. manager 7/7 — Fri, 09 May 2008 07:16:52 +0000

[...] in a sister post over at Slacker Manager Nick McCormick says, “Too much is made of the difference between managers and leaders. I [...]

By: Wes Ball

Wes Ball — Thu, 08 May 2008 14:41:06 +0000

I had a nice conversation with Miki yesterday about this subject. I think the problem is that corporations force their leaders, managers, or whatever they wish to call themselves into no-creative, non-strategic roles. It is truly tragic, yet I it has become almost unavoidable.

I focus a lot on the role of stock analysts in creating an environment where corprate CEOs must create short-term profit results even whenthe tactics used harm the company’s ability to drive long-term growth. But there is another critical factor: Lack of understanding about how to manage the revenue side.

Through both my own experience in two Fortune 500 corporations and a bit over 15 years of research into how to manage the revenue side for sustainable growth (as revealed in my new book, “The Alpha Factor” — Westlyn Publishing, 2008), I discovered that very few CEOs believe they can manage or have much control over revenue generation (meaning income generation). They only know that you put pressure on “sales” and something happens or you create a new product and put pressure on “sales” and something bigger happens.

The real key to long-term success is in neither of the two alternatives described by Bennis, but rather through understanding how customer decisions can be influenced and managing, vision-casting, and leading to those factors.

By: Nick McCormick

Nick McCormick — Thu, 08 May 2008 02:56:11 +0000

Too much is made of the difference between managers and leaders. I think we do it to make ourselves seem more important. “I’m a leader, not a lowly manager!”

As mentioned by a few already, a good manager/leader possesses a healthy dose of both management and leadership traits.

By: Phil Gerbyshak

Phil Gerbyshak — Thu, 08 May 2008 01:01:48 +0000

Bob – you are absolutely right, and I don’t think I insinuated that Drucker said any of the things Bennis did, I only compared Bennis to Drucker as experts in their respective fields. Sorry if I gave any other impression.

By: Bob Embry

Bob Embry — Wed, 07 May 2008 23:26:33 +0000

The manager being compared above is not Peter Drucker’s manager. It is a person with the title of manager who doesn’t manage. Read Peter Drucker. Every one of the positive points above is covered in Drucker’s work.

By: Miki

Miki — Wed, 07 May 2008 23:11:12 +0000

Perhaps what we’re really talking about is a leadership culture along the lines of an innovation culture. Of course, that would mean that the top dog (whatever the title) would have to enable such a culture either actively or by allowing it to bubble up from below. And *that* would mean the top dog was a practicing leader, which, too often, is a felonious assumption.

By: David Zinger

David Zinger — Wed, 07 May 2008 18:59:23 +0000

Phil,
A good review of the differences and that the differences are different now! I agree that a good manager has good leadership abilities and that some of this is not so much the person but the situation. This May the Harvard Business Review had an article that stated: perhaps the right environment is what really matters and if you want better leadership why not change the game instead of trying to change the leaders?

By: Miki

Miki — Wed, 07 May 2008 15:38:57 +0000

Hi Phil and thanks for adding to the conversation. I truly believe that today’s workforce won’t tolerate or perform for a manager who displays only the management traits in Bennis’ list and none of the leadership ones. Sure, they might hang around until something better comes along, but with lower productivity and little initiative or innovation—not a recipe for success.

And I do hope that some of your readers will come over and share their ideas, experiences and stories of their own managers.