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The Ford Files - Leadership vs. Management - March 2024 Edition

Leadership vs. Management
March 2024

Dear Readers, I recently delivered a virtual professional development meeting (PDM) on “Leadership v. Management” (a longtime popular topic) for ASCM Minuteman, based in Boston. The audience was encouraged to compare the distinction between leadership and management. I often suggest there are times when the manager can be the staff’s buddy, but also times when they need to take charge and be the boss. That does not always sit well with the audience, but it really depends on the situation.

I am recalling my work as a blue-collar laborer, a warehouse worker at a grocery wholesaler. This was brutal work, no Amazon-style robots to do the heavy lifting. It was “grab-and-stack,” get the orders picked, get the trucks loaded, get the drivers on their deliveries. The following four scenarios describe each of the situational leadership positions: telling; selling; participating; and delegating.

S1 - Telling: when my boss asked, "have you ever worked in the freezer". I replied "no" and he threw the freezer suit at my feet and said, "you'll never be able to say that again." (leader makes decision)

S2 - Selling: same company, different supervisor. He wanted me to work in the “institutional” department which managed orders for restaurants and university cafeterias. Order accuracy was much more important than speed. We had a conversation in which he explained why I was going to be in that department, the special concerns, etc. (leader makes decision with employee buy-in)

S3 - Participating: sometimes I was called to work on my scheduled day off, this was optional, but I did not mind helping and earning overtime pay. We might discuss what the workload was and what department I would be in. (employee makes decision after conversation)

 S4 - Delegating: there were times when work was slow, the warehouse supervisor was easy-going and relaxed, there was no rush. He offered me to choose what department I wanted to work on that shift. (employee makes decision)

The key is situational awareness and recognizing what approach fits at that moment.

Another key point is addressing the question of “nature v. nurture,” whether great leaders spring from the womb or are cultivated from their environment. There are usually audience members who fervently insist on the existence of the natural born leader. My counter is that this belief supports the position of those that are sexist and/or racist: suggestion our success is predetermined by DNA. It is simply not true, nor are there natural born speakers, writers, mathematicians, etc. Newborn babies, lovely as they are, merely possess the ability to sleep, cry, eat, vomit, etc. No marketable skills. However, they have enormous potential and learn quickly. Some will go on to develop leadership skills throughout their formative years as teenagers or young adults.

There is a point where most of us become somewhat set in our ways. The irony is that as a corporate trainer who teaches leadership, I also believe leadership training could be a waste of resources. Observe the proverbial “jerk” boss gets sent to a leadership retreat for a weekend, comes back Monday morning and they are still a jerk! They must be open to change, and now I am thinking… “hmm, change management might make a decent Ford’s Files column.” Stay tuned my friends… 😊

Yours in ASCM,

Ford

Ford is here to help. If you have any follow up questions or comments, or if you or your company are facing any unresolved challenges, feel free to drop me a note at [email protected]