Why There is No Such Thing as Micro-Leadership

We have all heard the term micromanagement.  It is a negative term that refers to a person who is overly controlling in their style of management.  According to Wikipedia micromanagement is “a management style whereby a manager closely observes and/or controls and/or reminds the work of their subordinates or employees.”  No one wants to be seen as a micromanager, but it is pretty commonplace.  In my coaching work, I spend a considerable amount of time helping clients to become more effective at delegation.  This brings me to the title of the article. 

Why there is no such thing as Micro-leadership?

Management and leadership are very different things, yet the terms are often used synonymously to their detriment.  We often hear of an organization’s management team or leadership team as being one in the same.  There are different skills required to be an effective manager versus an effective leader.  I have come to believe that it is rare to find people who are good at both leading and managing.  Let’s begin with defining, management and leadership.

Management:  Working with and through others to accomplish organizational goals

Leadership: Is any attempt to influence the behavior of another individual or group

Warren Bennis and Burt Nanus in their book Leaders: Strategies for Taking Charge state “Managers do things right, leaders do the right things.”  There is a clear difference in skill sets between these two capabilities.  Management is often about command and control which is why micro-management exists.  Leadership is about influence, vision and freedom which is why micro-leadership doesn’t exist. 

Management is assigned and leadership is assumed

A further differentiation that I have found in most cases is that management is assigned while leadership is assumed.  It is possible to lead at any level of an organization by taking initiative, going above and beyond, being a team player, role modeling positive behaviors and inspiring others.  Management more often than not requires permission and authority, so it is done through titles and the assignment of duties. Warren Bennis additionally states that “Leadership is a privilege”. Management is often a right.

Groove Management builds customized leadership development programs for companies.  Our programs are facilitated rather than taught because we strongly believe that leadership is about individuality.  The best leadership programs create unique outcomes for each of the participants whereas a management training program produces a uniform result where every participant learns the same things.

It is my wish that companies would do a better job distinguishing between leadership and management. It starts with being clear on the differentiators and holding leaders and managers accountable for different behaviors and outcomes. If it is unclear the distinction to those in your organization, then ask the simple question, have you ever heard of MicroLeadership?