Leaders have followers, managers have subordinates; this is the theory that popped into my head this week as I met with a manager who was trying to lead using fear. Our “first thing Monday morning” meeting left me angry for the entire day. (Well, angry until happy hour, even the vilest bossiness can’t ruin happy hour on a vacation day.) I do believe the urgent meeting on my day off was part of the power play. I also believe that the results from this attempt to lead have only undermined any chance of me becoming a follower.
Leaders are transformative and following is always a voluntary act. Managers are paid to get things done, they like to site orders from their own boss as a motivational technique. Leaders do not have subordinates – at least not when they are leading. Many organizational leaders do have direct reports, but only because they are also managers. But when they lead, they have to give up formal authoritarian control, because to lead is to have followers.
Who do you work for? A leader or a manager and who would your subordinates prefer to work for? Even better who do you work with?
