A short Leaders Kit Bag podcast episode by Ben Morton arguing that effective leadership requires both leadership and management skills rather than choosing one. Morton defines leadership as vision, direction and inspiring people (quoting Stephen Covey: "doing the right things") and management as execution, systems and delivery ("doing things right"). He draws on his British Army background and subsequent business coaching since 2006 to offer a practical definition: leaders support, develop and look after people so they can deliver results. Key advice: be intentional—recognise when to switch into leader mode (restore purpose, lift heads) versus manager mode (add structure, clarity, support).
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Hi there, I'm Ben Morton and welcome to the Leaders Kit Bag, your go to podcast for practical leadership insights in just six minutes. In each episode, we tackle real challenges faced by leaders and managers, offering actionable tools and strategies you can take away and immediately apply. And because leadership doesn't happen in a studio this these episodes are mostly recorded outside on the move. They're raw, unscripted and straight to the point. So wherever you are, let's dive in and sharpen your leadership skills six minutes at a time.
In today's episode of the Leaders Kickback, we're digging into one of the most persistent myths in leadership. That we need to choose between being a leader or. Or a manager, that leadership is somehow better or more noble. And management, well, that's just the operational stuff, right? Well, here's the truth. Every effective leader needs to do both. It's not either or, it's both. And at its core, leadership is about vision and direction. It's about inspiring people and pointing to a better future. As Stephen Covey once said, leadership is about ensuring people are doing the right things. Management, on the other hand, is about execution and delivery. It's the systems, the processes and coordination. It is about getting things done through others and doing them well. Again, as Stephen Covey said, leadership is about ensuring we're doing the right things and management is about doing things right. The key point here is that organisations, and anyone in any sort of leadership or management position need both to be effective. Imagine for a minute a team with a bold, inspiring vision, but no systems, no follow up, no delivery. That's chaos. Right? Now imagine a tightly run team with really efficient systems but no sense of purpose or shared vision. That's going to be hugely unengaging and unfulfilling. So, as you can see, neither works on its own in terms of definitions. You could spend an entire day looking at leadership definitions. There are just so many. So here's mine. I believe a leader's job is to support, develop and look after the people we have the privilege and responsibility to lead so that they can deliver the results we're accountable for. That belief was shaped by my first career in the British army, and it's been reinforced ever since I left the forces in 2006 and started working with business leaders all over the world. Now, whether you're in uniform or jeans and a T shirt, the principle holds, take care of your people and they'll take care of the results for you. Now, let's put to rest the idea that leadership is somehow superior to management because it's not. They're different but equally important. If you're a team leader, you're probably spending more of your time on management, planning, tasking, running meetings, solving short term problems. Problems for example. But that doesn't mean leadership isn't required. It just means the balance might lean more towards managing. Now, if you're a senior leader, you're likely to be more focused on leading, setting the vision, influencing culture, aligning and creating strategy. But you absolutely still need to some management muscle, especially when things wobble or the stakes are high. So hopefully you're starting to realize the key message here is this. Be intentional. Know when you need to be in leader mode and when you need to be in manager mode. If your team is drifting or losing focus, they might need leadership, someone to lift their heads and remind them of where you're going and what it's all for. If they're overwhelmed or just spinning their wheels, they probably need some management, more structure, clarity, support. You're not being inconsistent when you switch modes. You're being responsive. You're being an effective leader. So let me leave you with this. Please don't fall into the trap of thinking you need to be just a leader or just focus on management. Your role, whatever level you're at, requires both. The results and impact come from knowing the difference and moving between the two with clarity and purpose. That's it for today's episode of the Leaders Kit Bag. As always, look after yourself and look after those you have the privilege and responsibility to lead. Until next time, lead on.
