Combining leadership and management – Joe Verde

Pied Piper vs. Management Skills…

The Pied Piper might have gotten people to follow him down the path in those green tights and by playing his flute. And the people and butterflies may have followed him into the woods, but following him was the only requirement of his new band of merry followers – they didn’t have to accomplish anything else, just happily go along for the walk.
Is that Leadership??? – Yes, but on a whole different level. Unfortunately, most people associate being a Leader with being able to develop a band of Followers or of having Charisma. And we’ve all seen that disgruntled manager leave a dealership and take a bunch of salespeople with them. So since everybody followed him, he was a Leader, right?
Well, if you’ll also remember how the story goes most of the time, it doesn’t really work out very well for the Followers because too often the Leader was just a Pied Piper with no real skills or abilities as a Manager.
And when they all happily arrive at their new home in the forest (or dealership down the street), it quickly becomes clear that the guy couldn’t put together a pop up tent, much less build a a business.
See … that’s the Catch: You can’t be a Good Leader unless you also have the Management Skills to accomplish the task; which in your case is to sell the product, hold gross, build the business, stop turnover and continue to grow year after year!
If Leadership Is Your Only Ability,
Come ‘Pinch Time’ You’re In Trouble!
In fact, when the going gets tough and pressure comes down from the top to improve sales and profits or “heads will roll” … it’s right about then when those skill-less Leaders with those very poor Management skills jumps ship and takes a band of Merry Followers with him.
When we talk about their people…
A Successful Leader Is A Good Manager
A Successful Manager Is A Good Coach
A Successful Coach Is A Good Teacher
I think we’d all agree being a Successful Leader means we not only get the people to follow us, but that we also make them better because they did. And logically, that means a Successful Leader reaches the company goals.
Short version: A Successful Leader is able to bring out the best in people.
If we’re talking about the process…
A Successful Leader Is A Good Manager
A Successful Manager Has Good Processes
Good Processes + Good People = Success
This is where your Management Skills come into play to allow you to become a good Leader. You don’t need a flute, you just need to learn how to …
•     Create Effective Sales Processes
•     Interview and Hire Good People
•     Train Each Initially & Continually
•     Track Every Activity & Result
•     Keep ‘Em Motivated & Wanting More
•     Set Good Goals & Write Good Plans
•     Follow The Plans & Lead Your Team To More Success
Leadership is simply a by-product of Effective Management. 

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Copyright © 2007 Joe Verde Sales & Management Training, Inc..  This edited article is from Joe’s Monthly Managers Newsletter, “For All Managers In Sales™”, and was reprinted by permission of the Joe Verde Group. For more information about the training they offer, call 1-888-409-1404 or outside the United States call 949 489-3780, go to their website “joeverde.com” or email them at info@joeverde.com.