My time in the military has taught me a lot about life, people, and myself. While in college, before commissioning as an officer in the U.S. Navy, I read a book called The 5 Levels of Leadership by John C. Maxwell. It changed how I thought about leading and influenced the type of leader I wanted to become.
During my active-duty service, I observed the significant and lasting impact that not understanding the differences between leadership and management can have on a team. It's essential to recognize that leadership and management are distinct practices.
Many organizations conflate management with leadership and vice versa, but they are not the same. Although people often use the terms interchangeably, they refer to different skills and approaches.
THE ART OF LEADERSHIP
Leadership is about influence, not titles, rights, or privileges. Leadership ultimately starts with an objective that spurs a journey of sorts. Something has to be done, and someone must be appointed to ensure it comes to fruition.
As I write these words, the present definition of leadership is to "lead a group of people or an organization." I don't know about you, but that definition does not satisfy me, personally. If I were to take a crack at defining leadership, it would be "one life positively influencing another to achieve a specific goal, resulting in greater flourishing for the entire organization and its future members."
I recognize that not all influence is good. Bad leadership exists because negative influences persist in our world. The subject of poor leadership deserves its own article and is beyond the scope of this particular post. I want to focus on good leadership as it relates to management.
Well, I rely on what I believe to be the world's ultimate source of truth: the Word of God (the Bible).
We need good leaders in today's world because every organization has a leadership dynamic. Throughout my personal leadership journey, I've come to believe that Jesus Christ was the greatest leader of all time. His influence has made Him the most transformational leader ever. Christ knew how to show love, encourage, inspire, and motivate His followers to take action and perform in ways that increased influence and promoted meaningful change. This is what it means to be a transformational leader.
HAVE THE HEART OF A SERVANT
At the heart of every leader is love for their people. If we cannot love our people enough to serve them well, we cannot lead. Nobody knew this better than Jesus. He took it upon Himself to serve others, not to be served. He washed the feet of His followers and ultimately gave up His life for them (present and future disciples).
To serve means to love. Leaders do not lead by sitting atop their "throne" and demanding things from their subordinates. Instead, they lead well by serving others selflessly (just as Christ did) and ensuring they remain good stewards of the people they are called to shepherd. This means that a leader must sacrifice for their people, go to great lengths to remove roadblocks from their paths, and make decisions that are in their team's best interest.
FOCUS ON RELATIONSHIPS
To build influence, a leader must establish relationships with others. Leadership involves developing meaningful relationships with their team members; it entails caring for individuals and helping them grow and develop so they can succeed and potentially become leaders themselves one day. On the other hand, management involves utilizing people's skills and expertise to achieve specific outcomes and doesn't require meaningful relationships.
There is no leadership without relationships. When it comes to working alongside others, the heart must come before the head, regardless of the work we are involved with. No one wants to work for someone they can't stand to be around. It makes getting work done much more painful than it needs to be, and we can't truly be fulfilled by the work we do, much less succeed in it long-term, if we don't enjoy it. To invest in relationships with those who would follow us is to make their lives and work more enjoyable and rewarding, trust me.
I have encountered people who think the job and the organization's mission are "all that matters." Relationships with others are "not as important," but that isn't the way of an effective leader. A manager's mentality focuses strictly on the organization's results and nothing more.
Leadership requires much more from each of us. We don't get to decide what kind of baggage we inherit when we must work with others, just like we don't get to choose any of the circumstances we sometimes face in life. Leading is about taking what we have and making it better by investing in our most precious asset, people, because, without them, there is no leadership, growth, or longevity for success.
HAVE A STRATEGIC VISION
Jesus had a vision for the world—to seek and save the lost and wayward, forgive their sins, and give them hope to turn their lives around and be "born anew."
Strong leaders provide vision to their followers. It all begins with having a vision, and like Christ, a great leader must have a vision for where to take their team. The leader must often see what others cannot and then formulate a plan to get the team where they need to go.
TAKE PEOPLE ON A JOURNEY
Leadership is about guiding people on a journey driven by the leader's vision. Leadership author John C. Maxwell often says, "If there is no journey, then there is no leadership."
Jesus took His apostles on a journey by serving them so that they, in turn, could serve others. Christ envisioned how He wanted to heal a world broken by sin and redeem humanity. His followers quickly embraced this vision, and the course of history was forever changed. A leader first envisions where the team needs to be and then leads them on a journey to get there, adapting and overcoming obstacles along the way.
BE PERCEPTIVE
Jesus had a unique perspective. He saw things others couldn't, spoke words no one had ever heard, and experienced emotions beyond anyone else's. Most importantly, Jesus saw people differently. He didn't just see who they were but who they could become.
Jesus recognized the inherent value in every individual, regardless of their background, actions, or current state. Jesus saw potential in ordinary fishermen and inspired them to be greater. He believed in them, guided them, and loved them, leading them to become "fishers of men."
Great leaders often observe things that others overlook and utilize their understanding of the world around them to make informed decisions that will ultimately benefit the team.
ADD VALUE TO PEOPLE
To be a leader means having the heart of a teacher and adding value to people. A good leader understands the difference between sending people up and bringing them up in the world.
To "send" someone up in any instruction is to provide vague directions and use unclear language while trying to guide their actions. To "bring" someone up in any instruction means to lead by example, which is exactly what a leader should do as a mentor to others.
We must be kind, willing, and patient to grab others by the hands and embark on a learning journey with them. A bad and lazy leader makes lame excuses such as "I suffered, so you have to." Or worse, they might even profess that they "don't care" and "shouldn't" because they have already "arrived" in life for themselves. This is no behavior for a genuine leader; it is the behavior of a lazy fraud.
Leaders take teaching seriously because they recognize that success and progress can be better preserved when we take the necessary actions to develop and instruct those who will eventually replace us. They see the "big picture" and prioritize adding as much value to people as possible to safeguard the future.
COMMUNICATE WELL
Communication is a top priority for most organizations, and for good reason. Without effective and open communication, any team's success will be short-lived. All leaders must communicate their vision effectively to those who follow them so that the team's goals remain clear. However, I find that most organizations focus more on the act of communicating and not enough on alleviating the barriers to communication.
I have observed this issue in multiple naval commands: people often don't communicate with each other because they do not like or respect their colleagues or superiors (I have found myself in this group at times). Effective leaders inspire and create healthy cultures and environments in which people can communicate respectfully and learn to work well together.
While achieving perfection is challenging due to team members' differing worldviews, good leaders set out to create a work environment where people are not mistreated or needlessly stressed.
As leaders, open communication is not just about sharing important information to ensure that tasks are completed but also about building relationships with the people we are in charge of. Whether planned or spontaneous, the times when we sit down, listen, and have honest conversations are crucial. It's an opportunity to ask and answer questions about each other sincerely.
Jesus asked over 300 questions throughout the four Gospels, and those are just the recorded ones! In most instances, He asked people what they thought about the events around them. A good leader should always ask questions to understand their people and communicate effectively by taking precious moments to learn about those they seek to lead.
As mentioned, relationships are critical in leadership and serve as the foundation for trust. By communicating well, a leader can build trust and earn respect more easily.
BE EMOTIONALLY INTELLIGENT
Emotional intelligence can be defined as "the capacity to be aware of, control, and express one's emotions and to handle interpersonal relationships judiciously and empathetically." We can be the most intelligent person in the room and have an IQ that is off the charts. Still, if we can't control our emotions or consider the feelings of others as we work and live amongst them, then the successes we will enjoy in life as leaders will be exceptionally limited.
BE EMPATHETIC
Empathy goes beyond expressing pity or sorrow for someone. It involves understanding and connecting with another individual's pain and suffering. While sympathy is just a display of pity or sorrow, empathy means connecting and relating emotionally with others.
Empathy involves taking action and often requires us to support others through their suffering, seeking to understand their pain and help them navigate their struggles.
Empathy is a powerful tool and a necessary ingredient of any person's overall emotional intelligence. In today's world, hard-hearted people care only about their successes and give little thought to the feelings of others.
To be effective leaders, we must empathize and be present with others in their sorrow and hopelessness, just as Jesus did. Our goal should be to empathize, connect with others through difficult times, and support them as they work through their burdens.
We shouldn't dwell on others' hardships indefinitely. The best way to deal with tough times is to move past them, hoping to grow stronger after enduring loss or sorrow. Leading with the heart is important because every good leader recognizes humans as creatures of emotion. How we relate to those we are called to empathize with can make or break our ability to lead successfully.
THE SCIENCE OF MANAGEMENT
Management is a science that works best when things stay the same. It is dependent upon outcomes and, therefore, results-driven. Management involves programs and processes, with managers serving as maintainers who rely on systems and controls to get things done.
Management prioritizes efficiency and is easy to spot. Managers often say things like, "All that matters is getting the job done," even when that job requires us to work alongside others regularly.
The truth is that strict managers prioritize the bottom line. When in a management role, they often consider themselves leaders by default due to their level of responsibility, status within the hierarchy, and the goals they aim to achieve.
Effective management does not require that someone serve their followers, build relationships with them, or even get to know them. It's simply about doing a job. Chances are you've met someone like this. In most cases, they believe they are a leader because they worked hard to climb their organization's ladder, waited long enough to gain promotion, and maybe spent several years acquiring higher levels of education, all so they could obtain "leadership positions."
THE POSITION DOES NOT MAKE THE LEADER
People use the phrase "position of leadership" far too often. John C. Maxwell said it best in his book The 5 Levels of Leadership: "The position does not make the leader; the leader makes the position."
Anyone can hold a position of power or authority, but true leaders recognize that titles and positions don't matter. According to Maxwell, positional leaders care more about their territory than the teamwork they can enjoy with others. They love the rights and privileges of their title or position and care more about being "big" on the outside.
A good leader cares about being "big" on the inside. Leadership must start with a position, but that is simply the beginning. A position is merely an opportunity to grow into becoming a true leader. The question then becomes...
Contrary to popular belief, no formal education, number of course certificates, amount of money, or time in business or the military makes someone a leader (not even close).
As a naval officer, I have often been asked to reflect on my performance as a leader in my assigned units. The idea is to initiate a dialogue that engenders self-reflection, often with my direct superior. When asked if I consider myself a "good leader" in the workplace, my answer has always been the same:
Some people with experience managing others may shake their heads disapprovingly at this notion, prioritizing their organization's results over how the people under them feel about their ability to lead well. However, while results certainly matter, they do not necessarily indicate a good team leader.
We must all recognize that no one is a leader until it is ratified in the minds of those who would follow us. If we assess our achievements solely based on tangible results and not on our impact on people's lives, then we cannot consider ourselves leaders. Leadership demands more than just outcomes; it also encompasses the feelings of those who follow us when we are in charge. People should follow us because they want to, not because they must.
During my time in the Navy, many would often say, "It's lonely at the top." With clear ranks and authorities established for our military, this remark made a great deal of sense. However, as I began investing in professional relationships with those lower in rank than me, I realized that I felt less and less lonely. This was because I had discovered that when we take others on a journey, we bring them to the top. A leader should never feel "lonely" as their responsibility is to build and expand their influence enough to bring others to the top along with them.
Anyone who wants to be a leader for self-serving reasons is motivated by the wrong reasons. They think in terms of "ME" and not "WE." These are weak leaders who care only for themselves and not about serving others. Leadership is not a position but a responsibility to be taken seriously!
ACHIEVE ORGANIZATIONAL GOALS (BUT DON'T STOP THERE)
Successful managers must understand concepts such as strategic thinking, organizational structuring, implementing processes, analyzing key performance indicators, and tactical execution of the company's mission. They are crucial to driving important organizational initiatives forward. But it cannot stop there! Being a leader requires more than compartmentalized thinking.
I am willing to admit that results are significant for any organization and represent the outcome of the team's hard work. Nothing kills passion faster than investing honest effort and having nothing to show for it.
But once again, leadership is ultimately about influence. If we become too engrossed in outcomes and overlook the importance of inspiring and connecting with those who seek guidance, we cannot be considered true leaders. It's as simple as that.
LEADERSHIP & MANAGEMENT SKILLS ARE EQUALLY IMPORTANT
Effective leadership is not just about managing tasks but about inspiring and developing the next generation of leaders. Leaders should focus on empowering their employees and creating an environment where they can thrive and contribute to the organization's goals.
Every good leader must utilize effective management practices but do so out of care for the individuals on their team.
CONTINUE TO HONE YOUR LEADERSHIP SKILLS
Good leaders are also good managers, but good managers are not necessarily good leaders (or even leaders at all). We should continuously strive to improve our leadership skills because good leadership can stand the test of time and truly change the world.
Effective leadership involves serving our people by adding value to them and fostering healthy relationships that prioritize open and honest communication while maintaining a clear vision, even in the face of inevitable obstacles.
Jesus Christ was the greatest leader who ever lived, and He continues to inspire men and women every single day. He has much to say about living a prosperous life and treating others well. To learn more about what Jesus did for mankind by sacrificing Himself, you can read the Gospel of Jesus Christ here.
