From a Manager to a Leader: Bridging a Gulf or Jumping a Chasm?

This paper argues that the transition from being a manager to becoming a leader is more like jumping a chasm than walking smoothly on a bridge over a gulf. Traditional methods of management education, training, and mentoring are not likely to be very helpful in making this transition because they fail to recognize that leadership involves fundamentally different processes as compared to managing and hence leaders cannot be developed by more liberal doses of traditional management inputs. This paper identifies five dimensions for the transition from a manager to a leader: From a manager of ‘facts’ and ‘data’ to a manager of emotions: Leadership has less to do with cold analysis of hard facts and more with managing the emotions that exist among people in the organization. From a manager of emotions to a generator of emotions: ‘Managing’ the emotions is not enough; generating the right kind of emotions is also essential. People must be inspired by the goals and must seek fulfillment in attaining them. Emotions such as loyalty and passion for a cause are to be generated. From a follower of standards to a setter of standards: Leaders do not follow standards; they set their own standards often at variance with prevailing and accepted views. It is this characteristic that sets leaders apart from run-of-the-mill managers. From a realist to a dreamer: Leaders are not necessarily realists they are great dreamers. Great dreams, they know, are what inspire people. These may or may not be ‘practical’ dreams, but, often, the leaders are governed less by the practicality of the dreams than by the fact that they are worth pursuing. From an optimizer to a compromiser: Leaders do not try to optimize for they know that such solutions exist only in books. They are constantly driven by the need to compromise, to make the best of a situation, and pry open loose bricks to gain entry into their world of dreams. They are also very keen on making sure that their compromises do not dilute the basic objectives and become a sell-out. These are shown to be major transitions involving development of new skills and schemas. Making the transition involves three steps: Knowing oneself, i.e., one's strong as well as weak points, potential, and capabilities. Becoming oneself, i.e., shedding the masks worn so long that the person has forgotten what his true face is like. One has to again become oneself. Deciding what to become in future and mo1ing towards it : This is essentially a process of self-development of gathering of new perspectives, fresh interpretation of facts, reflection, and developing a fresh worldview that is all one's own. Nietzsche's poser, ‘This is my way, what is yours?’ captures the essence of this transformation. Self-development is a vital ingredient of leadership; leaders have to find their own paths to their goals.