January 2005, Train or Develop
As organizations change and adapt so must the people running them, namely managers and leaders. Many organizations tend to neglect developing and training this group, letting most find their own way to establishing their unique management or leadership style.
The best organizations know that consistency is a key factor for long term success. At the same time there has been much debate about methodologies - to train or to develop.
The difference between management and leadership skills can be simply stated as follows:
- Management skills: The skills required to manage people and resources to deliver a product or service.
- Leadership skills: The skills required to engage with people and persuade them to 'buy-in' to a vision or goal.
You can have one without the other – but this is typically not without cost. Management without leadership can work in a culture of compliance and conformity. Leadership without management, however, can lead to maverick behaviors.
Real effectiveness comes from an appropriate blend of both. Overall success comes from developing people at the same pace as the organization; and developing people is as much about developing those who are running the organization as it is those who deliver throughout it.
Management skills and knowledge are fundamental and can be taught. Leadership, on the other hand, tends to be a factor of personality and experience. So you train management skills and develop leadership capability.
This is not to say that there is a universal 'right' way to train managers or develop leaders – each company and culture needs its own blend of skills and attitudes – a good reason why recruitment can be difficult. You only need to look at what happens at the end of any season in the world of football, college or pro, and the coming and going of coaches to know that it is not just about skill, but most importantly, cultural fit.
An effective management training program ensures the basics are in place, and trains people for the relevant policies and procedures as well as the basic knowledge required of a manager.
To develop leaders, the culture of the organization and the level of autonomy available to managers and leaders must be taken into consideration, and then support systems appropriate to the organization and its culture must be in place to foster the growth of high potential people.
