Managers and Leaders

I have been a supervisor/manager for over 20 years.  As an engineer, transitioning from employee to supervisor was probably the hardest change for me in my almost 30 year career.  Supervision/Management requires emphasis on a completely different skill set than engineering --particularly the soft skills .  Learning to step away from the minutia and look at the big picture, as well as letting go of the concept of "control" (since your employees are developing the products and your are facilitating getting the resources to get the job done) makes for a total change in how one approaches the job. Not to mention that it is hard backing away from the fun "tech stuff".   It took me the better part of a year to come to terms with my new role -- and that was only the management part!

Leadership and Management are two separate, but related, animals. One can be manager but not a leader and vice versa.  A person can be a leader by virtue of their ability to lead others regardless of their position in an organization's hierarchy.  However, there is an expectation that once put in a position of supervision/management, that leadership skills are part of the total package. There is a need for both managers and leaders.  Each has an important role to play in an organization.  And if you have aptitude for both, then you have a powerful combination!

Returning to my childhood love of all things horse, with the added perspective of my life as a supervisor/manager, it has really brought home how many things translate from the equine world to the business world.  I'm not the first person to realize this -- there are books and clinics on the subject -- but this is an opportunity for me to show how horsemanship is shaping my leadership view and vice versa.