Page 63 - SACCO STAR ISSUE 43

OPINION
It is no longer enough to be the
“manager.” No matter what your
title, position or role, today’s most effective leaders––at all levels of your themselves and for the organization?
successful organizations are run by
leaders––at every level.
So what, exactly, is the difference
between the “manager” and the “leader?”
Management is about the process.
Leadership is centered on people. Or as
Admiral Grace Hopper said so eloquently,
"You manage things, you lead people.
We went overboard on management and
forgot about leadership.”
We’re seeing this same issue all over
the world––and it’s no different in the
credit union and credit Co-operative
industry. It’s usually not intentional or a Autonomy, Mastery and Purpose.
result of nefarious conduct. It’s usually
simply a matter of organizations spending
more time and energy on technical
management skills and not focusing on
developing emotional intelligence and
the interpersonal skills necessary for
effective leaders.
This imbalance can be costly, even
catastrophic. Disengagement, lost and
wasted time are costing businesses
billions of dollars worldwide. Add to
this the high expenses associated with
workplace stress and attrition due to
poor leadership, a growing worldwide
pandemic.
The greatest threat to
leadership today: The
“manager”
By Jim Bouchard
THE SENSEI LEADER
Jim is a world renown speaker and 2004 inductee to the U.S. Martial Arts Hall
of Fame who transformed himself from a two-time college dropout and drug
abuser to successful entrepreneur, author and international speaker.
It’s time to eradicate the “manager,”
and start developing genuine and
organization.
Even the best “manager” is not going to
be competitive today. Management is
about meeting expected standards.
People work harder when they know
their leaders care about them. They
produce more when they understand
their role, are encouraged to learn and
grow and when their work serves a
meaningful purpose. In fact in a global
study, author Dan Pink identified the 3
greatest motivators for workers:
This is where the SENSEI LEADER
movement fills the gap.
The manager motivates––or tries to.
The LEADER INSPIRES.
The manager delegates.
The LEADER EMPOWERS.
The manger pushes or drives.
The LEADER GUIDES.
I help leaders Inspire, Empower and
Guide people to their very best.
How exactly do you inspire people
to their best? How do you empower
others without losing your own status
or position? How do you guide
them to produce tangible results for
And how do you lead yourself to
the highest levels of productivity,
creativity and effectiveness?
That’s what we explore in every
SENSEI LEADER program and
workshop. Together, we have a
deep and meaningful dialog about
what it takes to be an authentic and
effective leader. We develop specific
strategies and implementation
steps to put these ideas to work––
immediately.
We explore the most essential
qualities and practices of the human-
centric leader––the type of leader
with the ability to attract and serve
willing follower and bring out the
best in them.
Effective leadership is no accident. It
is a discipline.
We’ve got to restore the humanity
to leadership. It is the right thing to
do––and it is the most sustainable
and profitable way forward. We’ve
got to embed this culture of human-
centric leadership in our future
generations.
That’s the purpose of THE SENSEI
LEADER movement. Together, we will
be successful!
SACCO Star Magazine |61