Leadership is a vague term that’s thrown around a lot with little substance or real understanding. Believe it or not, being a better leader as owner or upper management in your company is one of the most valuable qualities you have to offer as a small business. Let’s start with some definitions that clarify the difference between leadership and management.
Management is about control. It’s about staying on top of the day-to-day details required to run a business. The only thing you can really control is time, quality and money. Don’t get me wrong, good management is important, but it shouldn’t be confused with good leadership. One might argue you can control people short-term by managing behavior, but it’s difficult. As employers, we can, to some degree, force people to do what’s expected through work rules, pay and systems. However, a forced employee isn’t necessarily an inspired employee.