leading people

One common trait I see in leaders over the years is that they all lead people and do not manage them.

There is a distinction between leading and managing people. I think the main one is that when we lead, we do so in a humanely manner and uphold our followers dignity and respect their personal dreams. We constantly keep our ultimate goals in mind whilst leading our followers in the best possible ways to move towards the goals for mutual gains and growth. With such leading approaches, followers give their all because they feel justified and passionate to contribute to a worthy leader towards a worthy cause and goal.

When leaders “manage” their followers, they’d be directing them as if they are fixed assets or ‘robotic’, people without feelings or aspirations. It is like the saying that goes ‘if we manage with a hammer, everything will look like a nail’. We can get much out of this style. We just get more frustrated and stressed.

As leaders, we need to be more psychologically savvy. Learn to understand people’s ways of thinking, feeling and acting (behaving). Learn how to build rapport with them to build our leadership trustworthiness and gain their trust. Always putting ourselves in their shoes, seeing, hearing and feeling things from their perceptions. Only then, we would enjoy the bliss of working with them and building lasting relationships.

Lets lead people in the right way!