(By Michael Botta) A few years ago, while working for a previous employer, I was assigned to work with a senior manager and his radio stations up in Ontario, Canada. His company had brought us in to work with their team of managers and AEs to increase local-direct sales.
As we were meeting and I was conducting my needs analysis with him, asking him questions about the team, the market, uncovering what he believed to be the sales teams Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Challenges, I noticed he tended to finish his replies to my questions with statements like “…but that would never work here,” “…our market is different,” “…that’s way different than what we’ve ever done here before,” “…our AE’s stick to our proven plan of selling.”
Proven plan? I thought to myself. If this guy’s plan was so proven, then why am I even in his radio stations trying to help him out?
Over the next few days, and after several meetings, lunches, and more meetings, I came to the realization that this particular manager was hesitant to do anything different. He was demanding, controlling, risk averse, and most of all, void of any ideas.
Each night when I got back to my hotel room, I would review my notes and eventually something glaring rose to the surface. These guys didn’t have a market problem or even a station/format problem — what they had was a leadership problem. I concluded that what the stations had were managers (nothing wrong with that, we need managers) but what they lacked were leaders, and leaders are different animals to managers. Leaders are necessary, and without leaders you’ve got no true north.
Needless to say, we finished working with this station and they did increase their direct billing, but only after the ownership embraced and agreed to the need for real leadership at the station and not just management.
What started out as notes to myself became a simple one-sheet that I left with them as a reminder of the difference between leaders and managers. I suggest you print it out and share it with your management team.
Leadership vs. Management
LEADERSHIP
Risk-Seeking
Works on Systems
Creates Opportunities
Seeks Opportunities
Changes Organizational Rules
Provides Vision & Strategy
Inspires Achievement
Energizes People
Coaches Followers
Self-Leaders (Empower themselves)
MANAGEMENT
Risk-Averse
Works Within the system
Reacts to Opportunities
Controls Risk
Enforces Rules
Seeks Then Follows Direction
Coordinates effort
Demands from People
Reviews Pre-Set Rules
Need external empowerment
LEADERSHIP: Enables, Freeing, Risking, Releasing, Enhancing, Challenging, Flexible, DOING RIGHT THINGS.
MANAGEMENT: Playing safe, controlling, forcing, rigid, stifling, restricting, DOING THINGS RIGHT.
Leaders have followers – Managers have subordinates.
The biggest difference between leaders and managers is the way they motivate the people they work with and the people they work for.
Michael Botta has been a Broadcast Sales Trainer & Manager for 31 years. He currently works for Salem Media group in Los Angeles at AM870 KRLA. [email protected]
Your article is very confusing – i.e. Leaders – “Doing right things”, Managers – “Doing things right” – Huh? You’re all over the place. I got zero benefit from it.
Great article and content! Thanks Michael!