The two faces of successful leadership: Leadership and management in harmony
- Annette Behrendt
- 4 days ago
- 3 min read
Imagine climbing a mountain. After hours of climbing, you finally reach the summit, look around, and realize: This isn't the mountain you wanted to climb. A scenario that's frighteningly easy to apply to the business world. How often do we pursue goals, only to find that the circumstances have changed or we've been heading in the wrong direction?
The Challenge of Modern Leaders
One of the greatest challenges for leaders today is finding the balance between day-to-day operations and strategic direction. We are often so involved in daily tasks that there is little time to step back, review our direction, and, if necessary, adjust course.
To meet this challenge, it is helpful to distinguish between two key concepts:
1. Leadership: The art of setting the right direction
2. Management: The ability to achieve goals efficiently
Leadership: Looking Forward
Leadership means thinking about the overarching direction:
What goals do we want to achieve?
What is our vision?
What values guide us?
It takes courage to step back, take a bird's eye view, and also gain emotional distance from day-to-day business. Only in this way can new opportunities and directions be discovered.
Management: Paving the Way
Management, on the other hand, concerns concrete implementation:
What resources are needed?
How do we use them efficiently?
Where can we optimize processes?
It requires a detail-oriented, structured approach and the ability to break down complex tasks into manageable steps.
The Crux: Delay and the Sense of Productivity
The major challenge lies in the different nature of these two areas of responsibility: Leadership decisions often only become fully effective after months or years. They require patience and foresight. Management tasks, on the other hand, give us an immediate sense of productivity and control. This leads many leaders to focus more on management – at the expense of strategic leadership.
The Golden Mean: Finding Balance Successful leadership requires both aspects:
Pure "visionaries" without implementation skills remain trapped in castles in the air.
Pure "managers" without strategic vision may optimize the wrong process.
The trick is to develop both skills and apply them situationally.
Identify and defuse potential sources of conflict This duality can lead to tensions:
1. Neglecting long-term decisions: If the focus is too much on day-to-day operations, important strategic decisions are missed.
2. Mistrust and micromanagement: A lack of trust in employees can lead to excessive control – instead of working on relationships and empowerment.
Impulse of the Week: Changing Perspectives – Strategically Using a Bird's Eye View
Consciously take time this week to look at the bigger picture. Ask yourself the following questions:
1. Where are we currently as a team/company?
2. Where did we originally want to be?
3. What concrete steps are necessary to achieve our goals?
Tip: There are still a good 100 days left in 2024. Use this opportunity to reflect on your current situation and direction. It's the ideal time to review your course and strategy and adjust them if necessary.
Conclusion: Leadership, Management, and the Art of Conflict Avoidance
Successful leadership in the 21st century means combining the inspiring vision of the leader with the implementation strength of the manager. But an often overlooked but crucial aspect of excellent leadership is the ability to avoid and resolve conflict.
As a leader, you are not only a visionary and strategist, but also a mediator between viewpoints. In a complex working world where different interests, cultures, and personalities collide, the ability to identify conflicts early and resolve them constructively is invaluable.
True leadership means:
Recognizing potential conflicts at an early stage:
Establishing a culture of open dialogue and mutual respect
Acting as a neutral mediator in conflict situations
Using mediation techniques effectively to find win-win solutions
Learning from conflicts and creating preventative structures
By developing these skills and integrating them into your leadership style, you will not only create a more harmonious work environment but also increase your team's productivity and innovativeness. Conflicts will transform from obstacles into opportunities for growth and improvement.
Would you like to further develop your skills as a leader and mediator? Are you looking for support in establishing a culture of constructive conflict resolution in your company? At proconsens.at, we specialize in strengthening leadership skills with a focus on mediation and conflict prevention.
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