056. Do Managers Get A Bad Rap with Irial O'Farrell

💭 Have you considered the difference between a “leader” and a “manager”? There is a lot of debate on LinkedIn where leadership is put on a pedestal and managers are the poor cousins that are sometimes the target of derision.

We are joined by our very first returning guest on the show.  We are honoured to be joined again by Irial O’Farrell, the founder and principal of Evolution Consulting and the bestselling author of 3 books, “The Manager’s Dilemma”; “Smart Objective Setting for Managers”; and “Values: Their Not Just for the Office Wall Plaque”. 

Management is about the process of understanding what needs to be done, developing a plan and ensuring the right work is done at the right time with the right resources and at the right cost.

A leader is more looking into the future and consider whether the business and team are working towards a great vision. 

A leader is looking up and out into the future and has a vision to create a new world.  A manager tends to look down at the immediate to decide what needs to be done right now.

The truth is that we need both. Leaders without managers will result in a great vision that is never executed and is just a dream.  A manager without a great leader will get things done but will not necessarily have clear vision and direction that will change the world.

It is possible for a single person to be both a leader and manager but it does require different skillsets and mindsets. There is an argument that high performance teams and organisations could get these important bases covered by different people working in unison.

Being a great leader does not automatically mean that you will be a great manager and being a great manager does not automatically mean that you will be a great leader.

Where some of the debate comes in where managers can get a bad wrap is in the leadership and management styles that some people embody.  If someone has an aggressive or directive style as a manager they are unlikely to be inspirational and give people a great work environment.  People want a work environment where they have purpose and meaning in what they do; where they feel valued; where they feel motivated; and where they feel like t

Send us a text

Support the show

✅ Follow The Leadership Project on your favourite podcast platform and listen to a new episode every week!

📝 Don’t forget to share your thoughts on the episode in the comments below.

🔔 Join us in our mission at The Leadership Project and learn more about our organisation here: https://linktr.ee/mickspiers

📕 You can purchase a copy of the Mick Spiers bestselling book "You're a Leader, Now What?" as an eBook or paperback at Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09ZBKK8XV

If you would like a signed copy, please reach out to [email protected] and we can arrange it for you too.

If you're thinking about starting a podcast or upgrading your hosting, Buzzsprout is a great option! This link will give both of us a $20 credit when you upgrade:

👉 https://www.buzzsprout.com/?referrer_id=1701891

Create forms easily with Jotform! Sign up with my link: https://www.jotform.com/?referral=AkWimLxOBz

Get extra Dropbox space—sign up with my link: Dropbox Referral Link

Wise Referral link: https://wise.com/invite/dic/michaels11434

...