Many books have been written about managing people Jake DeBrusk Youth Jersey , and an equally large number have been written about leadership. Some use the words manage and lead interchangeably, and some talk about the differences between the words, building a distinction based on style or behaviors.


With all due respect for these books, let me make it simple.


Manage things and lead people.


Manage


Often we can clarify much by going to the dictionary to look up words we already know. When I looked up manage on Dictionary , I saw phrases like:


?To direct or control the use of; handle Charlie McAvoy Youth Jersey , to exert control over, to make submissive to one's authority, discipline, or persuasion . . .?


Given those definitions there are many things we need to manage:


? Budgets


? Production schedules


? Sales forecasts


? Marketing plans


? Projects


? Work flow


? to name a few.


Obviously, management skills are important. Organizations need the capability of effectively managing the items and resources on the list above (and 100 other things).


The rub comes when you start thinking about managing people. People aren't budgets or marketing plans. People are a resource in a whole other classification beyond the other resources of an organization.


People won't perform most effectively if they are being controlled or made submissive to authority. (Hey Tim Schaller Youth Jersey , I'm just using the words from the definition I read!)


Lead


On the other hand, let's go back to the for some phrases on lead.


'show the way by going in advance, to guide or direct a course, to inspire the conduct of ?? are just a few of the definitions I found.


People respond to being led.


Just as you can't inspire the conduct of a budget, you won't be most effective trying to manage people.


Which leads me back to my initial premise: Manage things and lead people.


Beyond Semantics


I challenge you to think about your current practices Torey Krug Youth Jersey , habits and approaches to working with other people. If you can find situations, times, or tendencies where you lean towards managing people, I encourage you to try a new approach starting today.


Here are six things you can do to shift your focus towards leading:


1. Think about how you have felt when being led vs. being managed. Write down five reasons you prefer to be led and use those reasons as reminders for yourself.


2. Explain these differences to those you lead and have a discussion about those differences. Commit to these people that you want to lead them more and manage them less. Ask for their help in adjusting your approach.


3. Recognize the strengths in those you work with and find ways for them to express those strengths more often and effectively.


4. Take the lead. Show the way by rolling up your sleeves to help a group with a sticky problem or to help them overcome a time crunch. Maybe you know the real work and can help in that way. Maybe you help by getting rid of an obstacle, providing moral support or getting the pizza.


5. Build relationships. Remember always that leading is a relationship activity David Krejci Youth Jersey , so take more time and focus more energy on building relationships with those you lead. As you build relationships you give yourself the opportunity to be more effective as a leader.


6. Think of yourself, call yourself, and introduce yourself as a leader and not a manager. The words matter.


Improve your management skills. Learn how to allocate resources, control expenses, and build projects. Use the thoughts in this article to help you continue to improve your leadership skills too. Both skill sets are important. And both always have room for improvement.


They just aren't one in the same? Manage things and lead people.






Attitude Is Everything

Being successful as an entrepreneur depends on having the right attitude: the entrepreneurial mindset.

While taking control of your own destiny can be an exhilarating Danton Heinen Youth Jersey , empowering experience, there are also pitfalls and hurdles you must consider. You've already overcome the first obstacle: self-doubt. Now congratulate yourself for acknowledging that you are a powerful, capable person, worthy of the rich rewards entrepreneurship can offer. With the right motivation and mindset, you are truly ready to steer yourself into your future. But what Zdeno Chara Youth Jersey , exactly, is the right mindset?

Are you:

Able to work without supervisionAble to self-motivateAble to make quick decisionsAble to handle stressOpen-minded and flexibleFocusedPersistentPatient

Don't worry if you don't possess all of the above traits. Starting and running a business is an act of creation; a work in progress. You can learn as you go. To give you a head start, let's take a closer look at some of the mental skills you might need to refine to ease your transition into self-employment.

Ability to work without supervision: You're the boss now--nobody scheduling your time, telling you what steps to take next, what to do when things go wrong. You need to be able to prioritize your own work by differentiating between those tasks that must be done first and those projects that can be assigned back-burner status. To help keep yourself on track Brandon Carlo Youth Jersey , make To-Do lists of all the things you need to accomplish: today, this week, this month. Then for each list, take time to analyze the steps necessary to complete each project, writing the steps down in the order they need to be done. Let these lists be your supervisor Riley Nash Youth Jersey , your guide to accomplishing your goals.