The Managerial LeaderCase Studies in Biblical

Leaders

Management vs. LeadershipEffective Leaders must know how to manage

But not all manager are leaders

What’s the difference between a manager and a leader?

Introduction

Allan Murray, in the Wall Street Journal Guide to Management , offers the following observations about the difference between leadership and managing:

Leadership and management must go hand in hand. They are not the same thing. But they are necessarily linked, and complementary. Any effort to separate the two is likely to cause more problems than it solves.

Management vs Leadership

Allan Murray –Still, much ink has been spent delineating the differences. The manager’s job is to plan, organize and coordinate. The leader’s job is to inspire and motivate. In his 1989 book “On Becoming a Leader,” Warren Bennis composed a list of the differences:

Management vs Leadership

Warren Bennis–The manager administers; the leader

innovates.The manager is a copy; the leader is an

original.The manager maintains; the leader

develops.The manager focuses on systems and

structure; the leader focuses on people.The manager relies on control; the leader

inspires trust.

Management vs Leadership

Warren Bennis – The manager has a short-range view;

the leader has a long-range perspective.

The manager asks how and when; the leader asks what and why.

The manager has his or her eye always on the bottom line; the leader’s eye is on the horizon.

Management vs Leadership

Warren Bennis – The manager imitates; the leader

originates.The manager accepts the status quo;

the leader challenges it.The manager is the classic good

soldier; the leader is his or her own person.

The manager does things right; the leader does the right thing.

Management vs Leadership

Allan Murray, however, believes that the sharp line of distinction between manager and leader in contemporary times is much more permeable than Bennis believes. People look to their managers, not just to assign them a task, but to define for them a purpose. And managers must organize workers, not just to maximize efficiency, but to nurture skills, develop talent and inspire results.

Management vs Leadership

In The Good Book on Leadership, the authors argue for something they refer to as a “managerial leader.” They believe that Nehemiah modeled the principles of managerial leadership in effective project management when he led the remnant of Jews to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem in 52 days.

Nehemiah

Managerial leadership is focused on accomplishing the task. This type of leader is successful at attempting great tasks because the leader has the ability to break projects down into manageable sizes, which motivates followers rather than discouraging them with the magnitude of the task.

Nehemiah

Several management books have used the example of Nehemiah and his success.

The rebuilding of the walls of Jerusalem began when Nehemiah heard about the conditions of the city.

“So it was, when I heard these words, tht I sat down and wept, and mourned for many days; I fasted and prayed before the God of heaven” (Neh. 1:4).

Nehemiah

Nehemiah then leveraged his relationship with Artaxerxes, king of Persia. Nehemiah was the cupbearer for the king, he tasted the wine before the king to insure that was not poisoned.

4 Then the king said to me, “What do you request?” So I prayed to the God of heaven. 5 And I said to the king, “If it pleases the king, and if your servant has found favor in your sight, I ask that you send me to Judah, to the city of my fathers’ tombs, that I may rebuild it.”

Nehemiah

The king granted Nehemiah’s request. When he arrived in Jerusalem he surveyed the situation and began, through prayer, to formulate a plan to rebuild the walls.

11 So I came to Jerusalem and was there three days. 12 Then I arose in the night, I and a few men with me; I told no one what my God had put in my heart to do at Jerusalem; nor was there any animal with me, except the one on which I rode. (Neh. 2:11-12)

Nehemiah

The next day Nehemiah began to share his dream with others:First, he identified the problem: “You see

the distress that we are in, how Jerusalem lies waste, and is gates are burned with fire” (Neh. 2:17).

Second, he proposed a specific project that would address that problem: “Come and let us build the wall of Jerusalem . . . That we may no longer be a reproach” (2:17).

Nehemiah

The next day Nehemiah began to share his dream with others (cont.):Third, he encouraged the people by

identifying resources already available to accomplish the project: “And I told them of the hand of my God which had been good upon me, and also of the king’s words that he had spoken to me” (2:18).

Nehemiah

The next day Nehemiah began to share his dream with others (cont.):Fourth, they began to engage in the

project by dividing it into manageable tasks (Neh. 3:1-32).

Fifth, he monitored the progress, making adjustments as necessary, for example responding to external threats from those that did not want to see him succeed (Neh. 4:8-9).

Nehemiah

The next day Nehemiah began to share his dream with others (cont.):Sixth, he made additional adjustments

in response to internal threats, namely, attitudes of some people involved in the project (Neh. 5:7, 12).

Seventh, he stuck to it until it was completed: “So the wall was finished on the twenty-fifth day of Elul, in fifty-two days” (Neh. 6:15).

Nehemiah

Finally, he turned leadership over to other responsible leaders in a public celebration:1 Then it was, when the wall was built and I had hung the doors, when the gatekeepers, the singers, and the Levites had been appointed, 2 that I gave the charge of Jerusalem to my brother Hanani, and Hananiah the leader of the citadel, for he was a faithful man and feared God more than many.3 And I said to them, “Do not let the gates of Jerusalem be opened until the sun is hot; and while they stand guard, let them shut and bar the doors; and appoint guards from among the inhabitants of Jerusalem, one at his watch station and another in front of his own house.” (7:1-3)

Nehemiah

The first function is planning, which involves seven steps:1) Estimating the future–anticipating the likely future2) Establishing objectives–organizational goals/targets3) Developing policies—answers to recurring questions4) Prioritizing a sequence of activities5) Standardizing methods of work6) Scheduling – establishing a time factor7) Budgeting to ensure the task is completed

The Functions of Management

The second function is the grouping of people and work so the work can be accomplished with excellence. Involves three activities:1) Developing the organizational structures –

grouping and relating people work of the people in the project.

2) Delegating by assigning work to others and transferring the authority they need to get the work done.

3) Establishing interpersonal human relationships, which helps people better relate to one another.

The Functions of Management

The third function is leading. This tends to involve five activities:

1) Decision making2) Communicating3) Motivating4) Selecting the right people5) Developing people

The Functions of Management

The final function controlling. This work ensures that the results conform to the plan. Involves four activities:

1) Establishing performance standards2) Performance measuring3) Performance evaluating4) Performance correcting

The Functions of Management