Eric Walton is back with another twist on something that’s super-true and ultra-obvious once he unpacks it…
… that’s one of his unique skillsets- taking things that we all SHOULD know about how to lead, how to run our businesses (but things we often miss), and then packaging them in a way such that their overly obvious after he shows you.
Take the topic of this talk, for instance. A lot of us have been taught that “you need to stay out of management mode” with your business.
Turns out, that SOUNDS right, but it’s not.
Management involves things like Eric’s “big five”-
- Sharing (whether you call it prospecting or selling)
- Follow-up (re: FIFU, the FORTUNE is IN the FOLLOW UP)
- Educate
- Serve (connect with people)
- Build
Yep. Leadership is a “buzz word” and management is a “poo word.” But, as leadership expert John Kotter writes in What Leaders Really Do (a Harvard Business Review book which Eric quotes in Downline Leadership)-
Leadership and management are two distinctive and complimentary systems of action… both are necessary for success in an increasingly complex and volatile business environment.
What’s the difference between the two?
Well, management focuses on systems and policy, while leadership focuses on strategy and people. Management deals with facts and data, while leadership deals with emotion and context. Management works through the mechanics; leadership focuses on movement. Management works short-term; leadership thinks long-term.
Here’s the difference-
Neither one works without the other.
In fact, Eric says they MULTIPLY each other. And, just as in mathematics, ZERO times anything is a big, fat goose-egg!
Three critical things to note:
First, you need both.
Second, they enhance each other (again, think multiplication).
Third, finally, the genius resides in knowing when to do which one…
A few years ago, our business slowed down. We thought it was because we drifted into “management mode.” Now, I’m re-thinking it. It’s NOT that we drifted into management mode; rather, it’s that we stopped leading.
We had great systems in place (management). But, that “ZERO” in leadership X great systems equalled… well, a decline…
Again, you need both…
They enhance each other…
And the true value is knowing when to do one and when to do the other.
Links for this show-
For videos from great leaders like Eric and others, go to OilyApp+ online- https://oilyapp.com/p/plus
Listening options for the show can be found at https://oilyapp.com/blog
Eric’s book, Downline Leadership, on Amazon- https://amzn.to/2RqqLjY
Eric’s website- for coaching + training- https://buildingupleaders.com/
The previous talk with Eric about his “leadership engine” can be found at https://www.OilyApp.com/blog/42