Years ago, I was approached by a new client to coach an Engineering Manager they had just hired a few months prior. Although his day-to-day tasks on certain projects were completed sufficiently, they weren’t seeing the “leadership potential” they had hoped to see when they hired him.
Prior to our first coaching session, I ran a DISC Assessment on the manager to better understand him and how he approached the job. What the DISC revealed was that this manager was going to struggle with certain aspects of his current role and lacked the leadership attributes they were looking for.
What was this manager’s DISC style?
Before we answer that question – let’s first define what we mean by the terms “manager” and “leader.”
Many people use the words interchangeably. Yet there is a distinct difference. To understand this difference, let’s take a short quiz. For each statement, decide who most likely would have said it: a manager or a leader.
Manager or leader: It’s my job to know everything that goes on in my area. Since leaders focus more on knowing the people who know what is going on, rather than on the details of what is going on, this statement more likely is attributed to a manager than a leader.
Manager or leader: One of my favorite aspects of my job is developing people and helping them grow.
Great managers are good coaches. They know that developing their subordinates is one of the most, if not the most, important parts of their job. It’s not that leaders don’t want to see people grow and develop. It’s just that their focus tends to be on bringing the right people on board to begin with.
Manager or leader: The best way to inspire people is to create a vision that’s highly challenging.
A leader’s number one requirement is to create a compelling vision that rallies people, and inspires them to look toward that future. Managers tend to think more in terms of what needs to be done here and now, while leaders can’t help but envision a future that will bring out the best in people.
With these answers, we see that a leader’s vision is strategic (ahead), while a manager’s view is more tactical (around). When heading toward any goal, it’s important to have both perspectives.
So which of these traits is superior? Which one would you rather give up—the ability to see around you or ahead of you?
WHAT IS MORE IMPORTANT – LEADERSHIP OR MANAGEMENT?
The obvious answer is neither. You need them both which is why both leadership and management skills are critical for effective organizational growth.
As management guru Peter Drucker says:
Leadership is doing the right thing;
Management is doing things right.
Maybe it’s just me—but they both sound pretty important. However, before you worry about doing things more efficiently and effectively, you should worry about whether you are even doing the right things. If anything, leadership must come before management.
WHAT’S DISC GOT TO DO WITH IT?
So given the difference between these two roles, are there DISC styles that would make better managers, and others that would make better leaders? The answer is YES.
[If you are unfamiliar with the DISC Behavioral model, you can review the model here: https://https://discwizardonline.com/about-disc]
The Engineering Manager we mentioned at the outset had a DISC style that was much more suited as a manager, and more specifically, a manager of just a few people. As a matter of fact, once we were coaching together, he confessed that he didn’t even want to lead a large department and have to “rally the troops” as he put it.
But let’s not take this one example as a definitive answer. Let’s examine this from an objective perspective. In the next article, we will look at the major differences between Managers and Leaders in order to finally answer the question: Which DISC Style makes the best leader?
