Difference between a Manager and a Leader
Many things have been written about the differences between management and leadership. Less has been written about the road IT Managers must chase in order to become IT Leaders. As IT Managers, we concentrate on projects, timelines, and the physical assets of the organization. In depth thoughts and considerable efforts have been put into the proper allocation of assets, budgets, and technology resources.
The Few Leadership Styles in IT Industry
Leaders come in many contrasting forms. They share the skills and enthusiasm to create teams of followers. Each member of the team trusts in the message and chooses to become part of something greater. This is the capability of leadership. For IT Leaders, this means creating a High Perform Team (HPT) culture in your organization. This can work for all of the groups under your responsibility whether their focus is software development, quality assurance, IT operations, help desk support, etc.
" The best leaders can bring a group of well-trained technologists together and reach very high levels of productivity and organizational success"
The Authority-Compliance style of leadership (Blake and Mouton, 1964) is results-driven and employees are seen only as tools to accomplish these results. As a result, there is a balanced to low burden for people and the senior managers employ a rigid stratified structure in their departments. It can be seen that IT managers are confused and lack a clear vision. This surrounding can create ambiguity for employees who work best in a structured environment and need positive reply for a job well done.
The Situational style of leadership clashes to improve the organizational experience and fosters a high performing team focus. This approach emphasizes that different situations demand different types of leadership (North house, 1997). This leadership style is both directive and supportive. IT Leaders encourage the use of Directing, Coaching, and Delegating relationships with their employees depending upon what the situation required. The employee’s environment is less rigid and has more ebb and flow. This environment is more conducive for employee’s who like to be a part of a team.