Chapter 4 - Management and Leadership a coin flip.

I recently took a look through the table of contents of several Intro to Business textbooks, and sure enough, around Chapter 4, they start to dive into the concepts of management and leadership. The books do a great job of explaining the differences between these two areas, both in terms of organizational structure and the specific skills they require. But in this week’s article, I want to focus on something more nuanced: the relationship between management and leadership skills.

Imagine a coin. On one side (heads), you have the skills of a good manager: planning, budgeting, directing, measuring, and so on. On the other side (tails), you have the skills of a good leader: creativity, listening, adaptability, risk-taking, and more. The difference between these two skill sets is represented by the thickness of the coin itself, while the coin as a whole symbolizes a person’s ability to get things done through a team.

Now, the goal for any individual is to reduce the thickness of that coin—to seamlessly transition between management and leadership skills, depending on the situation, so the team can achieve its goals or solve problems. The challenge, though, is that many people tend to favor one side of the coin over the other. They get stuck in either a management mindset or a leadership mode. In my experience, it’s often the management skills that dominate, while leadership skills are either underdeveloped, ignored, or simply not used.

Why is that? Many organizations are structured to prioritize good management practices. Their processes, rewards, and incentives focus on efficiency, which in turn, increases the thickness of the coin. That pursuit of efficiency is certainly valuable—it keeps the wheels turning—but it can be limiting. Over time, it creates a gap between the organization’s ability to manage and its ability to lead.

The best teams and organizations are made up of people who have mastered both management and leadership. They’ve managed to thin out the coin, reducing the gap between the two skill sets. These teams can effortlessly flip between managing the day-to-day and leading in times of change, responding to team dynamics, and adapting to new challenges. They not only meet today’s demands but also prepare for tomorrow’s uncertainties. They can hit the short-term goals while also looking ahead, spotting opportunities that others miss.

So how do you reduce the thickness of your coin? It starts with a mindset shift. About 70% of skill development comes from learning, and only 30% is tied to your natural personality or abilities. In other words, you can develop leadership skills—you just need to put in the effort. Take a look at how you spend your time at work. Are you focused solely on management tasks? If so, it’s time to shift gears. For example, if you spend a lot of time reviewing your team’s work, try stepping back from that. Instead, invest that time in building deeper relationships with your team members.

Next, start measuring leadership outcomes, not just management ones. We tend to focus on what gets measured, rewarded, and recognized. If your work environment only values management, create your own incentives to develop leadership skills. You’ll need to design personal or organizational goals that push you to step into leadership more often.

Finally, embrace coaching. Whether you get a coach, become a coach, or just seek and give feedback, coaching is a powerful way to flip the coin between management and leadership. It forces you to balance short-term objectives with long-term growth, which helps you thin out that coin even further.

The world needs people who can manage effectively and lead dynamically. It’s your responsibility to develop both sets of skills—or, at the very least, build teams that collectively possess those skills. Start by knowing yourself better, asking for input from others, surrounding yourself with people who challenge your thinking, and staying open to helping others with no strings attached.

Remember, management and leadership aren’t opposing forces. They’re two sides of the same coin. We need managers who can lead and leaders who can manage. By breaking down the divide between these skill sets, we can create workplaces that are not only more productive but also more meaningful and fulfilling.