06 Jan Wear the Crown. Be the Crown. You Are the Crown.
Sovereigns, what we often refer to today as royalty, may one day be crowned the official leader of their country. This ascent to the throne is most often dictated by lineage and position within the family tree. Depending on the size and global significance of the country, a royal’s ascension is often accompanied by great fanfare and extensive media coverage.
Now compare that to the ascent of you or someone in your organization into a leadership role. You may receive recognition in a company newsletter, or, if you sit high enough on the organizational chart and your organization attracts public attention, your promotion may come with a degree of fanfare, perhaps even reminiscent of a new king or queen.
This is where the similarities end, and the differences begin.
The road to the throne is typically shaped by years and often a lifetime of preparation. From birth, future sovereigns are trained in diplomacy, social issues, political realities, and economic matters. They are taught to embody the core values of their country and to understand that every word spoken and every action taken will be scrutinized and carry significance.
Now consider the rise of a leader within most organizations. How much time is truly spent preparing that individual for their new role? Their words and actions will also be scrutinized by those expected to follow them, yet preparation is often limited.
Beyond most CEOs and Executive Directors, many Vice Presidents, Directors, and Managers rise to leadership roles through hard work and success as individual contributors. They are promoted because they create value, often through personal achievement rather than because they have demonstrated the ability to harness the collective intelligence of a team.
As you reflect on your organization and those who occupy leadership roles, how many ascended not only because they delivered on individual goals, but because they showed the ability to bring out the best in others?
Having worked with organizations of varying sizes and across multiple industries, I have found that leaders often struggle to understand the difference between leading and managing. They know how to succeed individually but often struggle to harness the collective intelligence of their teams to achieve success. As a result, the terms leader and manager are frequently used interchangeably.
John P. Kotter reminds us that leadership is about coping with change. The more change an organization faces, the more leadership it requires. Leaders deal with change by:
- Setting direction
Developing a vision of the future and strategies for producing change - Aligning people
Communicating direction and building coalitions - Motivating and inspiring
Keeping people moving in the right direction
Management, on the other hand, is about coping with complexity. Good managers bring order and consistency to key dimensions such as quality and profitability. Managers deal with complexity by:
- Planning and budgeting
Setting targets and goals for the future - Organizing and staffing
Establishing structure, assigning roles, delegating responsibility, and building systems to monitor execution - Controlling and problem-solving
Monitoring results and adjusting plans to address issues
As many organizations enter planning and budgeting season, an important question emerges: Are you ready?
Are those in management roles prepared to guide their teams through the complexity of planning and budgeting? Are your leaders ready to set direction for the year ahead and ensure alignment with the organization’s mission and vision?
It’s worth asking whether you—and those on your team in leadership and management roles—are ready not only to wear the crown, but to truly be the crown.