Diriger en gestion : les compétences et les concepts dont les managers d'aujourd'hui ont besoin pour rester pertinents

You’ve heard it before: the world of work is changing – a fact which the pandemic has only accelerated. From remote and hybrid working to the shift from designing processes for efficiency to designing for resilience, a number of notable workforce changes are here to stay.

On top of that, the boundaries have blurred between home and work, soft and hard skills, and leadership and management. Now, more than ever before, leaders must hone their day-to-day management skills and managers are being called to lead in the face of unprecedented transformation.

But what does it mean to lead in a management role?

In this article, we will look at:

1. The difference between leadership and management
2. The four essential functions of management
3. The key leadership skills and concepts managers need to thrive in the next normal

The difference between leadership and management

Before we get too ahead of ourselves, it’s important to touch on the fundamental differences between leadership and management. Because while both are critical to the success of an organization, they are not one in the same. Effective managers and leaders know how to successfully cycle between the two roles.

At the core, management is rooted in the processes and practicalities of meeting company objectives, goals, and targets.

While leadership is concerned with the bigger picture, forward-looking aspects of an organization- those intangible qualities like inspiration and vision that are harder to quantify and are what motivate people to keep working hard and striving towards a shared goal.

Imagine you are setting out to climb Mount Everest. Managers would be the sherpas in charge of managing the packs, setting up camp, and taking care of the day-to-day needs of the climbers as they ascend the mountain.

Meanwhile, leaders are the mountain guides charting the best journey up, monitoring the weather, and generally keeping the whole expedition moving at the right pace and in the right direction.

The difference between leadership and management can also be defined through the lens of change management, an essential aspect of any organization.

In that case:

Leadership describes the tools people use to create a new future. Leaders guide people from the current state to a new idea or change state. They, quite simply, focus on “change” activities.

Management then describes the tools people use to ensure that the current process or structure delivers expected products. Managers focus on execution or “compliance” activities.

This underscores the call for leadership we are seeing today.

As the author and entrepreneur Seth Godin said in a recent speech, “When the world changes, management always fails.”

While the statement may be a touch hyperbolic, it gets at an important point.

One survey showed that approximately 65% of sales leaders said they believe that the speed of change has increased over the past few years, and 85% believe that adopting agile working methods will be critical for success in the coming years.

Given that rapid change is the new norm, organizations need more than just strong managers who are focused on efficiency and productivity. They need managers to also act as leaders who can help navigate and find solutions to the problems of tomorrow.

Examining the basic functions of management is a good starting point to understanding where leadership fits in.

The four functions of management

In the early 1900s, French mining engineer and author Henri Fayol identified five functions of management. These have been condensed down to four over time, but they are still widely considered the foundational principles of management roles today.

These functions are:

1. Planning

Managers set organizational goals and find the best course of action to achieve them.

According to Fayol, a good plan includes:

• • the desired result (i.e. the goal),
  • the actions required to meet that goal,
  • the stages (i.e. the sequence and timeline for the actions),
  • and the methods (i.e. specifying the exact way the different steps or stages will be performed).
    
    
  2. Organizing

Managers allocate the internal and external resources needed to achieve the desired result and plan, including delegating tasks to the right staff members and determining who is accountable for what.

In this function, managers may need to consult different departments like Human Resources and Finance to ensure all of the required elements are in place.

3. Leading

After the first two functions of management are under control, a manager’s focus should turn to the people in their charge. Here is where interpersonal skills like strong communication, empathy, and active listening are essential.

As opposed to giving orders or micro-managing, effective managers find their own unique leadership style(s) that enables them to inspire and encourage their team members to stay on track and perform to the best of their abilities.

4. Controlling

Just because a plan is set and a team is working towards it doesn’t mean a manager’s work is done. Managers also need to monitor progress and make course corrections if necessary, be those staff or budget-related.

For example, if a manager sees that the project is running over budget, they will need to evaluate if the costs are justified, and if so, fundraise to cover the extra expenses. Giving constructive feedback to team members is also a critical part of this function.

Focusing on the leadership function of management can help a business confront challenges and turn them into opportunities. It gives organizations the surefooted direction needed to plot a profitable, productive path through the evolving world of work.

It also helps them prepare the workforce of the future – an urgent need as 69% of millennials report a lack of leadership development in their organizations.

In order for managers to develop leadership acumen, they should focus on several leadership qualities that stand out as drivers of success.

Three critical leadership skills every manager needs

1. Self-awareness

Leadership begins and ends with self-awareness. You might find yourself wondering:

What do I believe in?
What are my core values?
What is my risk tolerance?
How do I show up in relationships with others?
How am I perceived by others?

These are important questions and the answers define your daily leadership choices. The answers show up in how you behave, and the impact ripples out as people watch you.

Research shows that self-awareness is even linked to more satisfied employees. However, according to Tara Well, associate professor of psychology at Barnard College, “Social scientists have discovered that people often grossly overestimate their level of self-awareness.”

Cultivating self-awareness starts with becoming mindful of your thoughts, feelings, and actions, whether that’s through keeping a journal or starting a meditation practice. Seeking honest feedback from your peers and friends is another effective way to gain clarity on your behaviors and efficacy as a leader.

2. Effective communication

Communication skills are critical for anyone in any position of authority within an organization. In fact, research shows that leaders spend 75-80% of their working hours communicating.

And that communication must span many channels – from Zoom, email, social media, Slack, you name it –  and flow in different directions – upwards to superiors and downwards to team members.

When presenting a new idea to your team or trying to generate buy-in for a new program, communication plays a major role in setting new norms. Honest, timely information that doesn’t sugar-coat reality or leave communication voids is key.

Great communicators spend a good deal of their time actively listening to those around them and taking their time to think through a response that is tactful and opens up a sense of dialogue.

Just think of the difference between “Get this to me by Friday.” and “Do you think you could get me this by Friday?” Honing your non-verbal cues also goes a long way, as 65% of conversations between two people will be made up of body language cues alone.

3. Coaching and feedback

​​Employee satisfaction is vital to meeting business goals, yet it has been shown that 79% of employees quit due to a lack of appreciation. That highlights the importance of providing constructive and positive feedback. Leaders must be teachers who notice the need for improvement and encouragement.

Valid feedback is relevant to behavior and situations that can be changed. And, to be helpful, course-correcting conversations or expressions of praise or appreciation need to be timely and tailored to how the recipient can best receive the comments.

It’s about being a coach rather than a commander, training your workforce with the tools they need to drive their own performance.

For instance, instead of telling a team member how to improve, sit down with them, review some of their key accounts, and problem solve collaboratively. This, in turn, strengthens the relationship and creates a sense of trust, which, it turns out, is the strongest indicator of employee engagement.

Leading in different contexts

No organization is the same; each and every one has its quirks. Just as a teacher would never expect to teach one child the same as they would teach a large class of high school students, leadership is not one-size-fits-all.

In other words, the who, what, and when of a circumstance influence how you lead.

One concept of leadership, introduced by management consultant Dr. Drea Zigarmi, identifies five different leadership contexts that leaders need to be aware of and respond to accordingly.

The five leadership contexts

1. Self context

As we discussed above, leadership starts with self-awareness. How a leader conducts and directs themselves toward an objective says a lot about their ability to lead others.

For example, the way a leader manages their time or commits to a new company policy will serve as an example to others within an organization.

The self-context also recognizes that leaders are found at every level within an organization, which is why it’s important to develop creativity, confidence, and leadership skills within every individual as a starting point to reaching larger goals.

2. One-to-one context

From performance reviews to casual daily check-ins, the one-to-one context is concerned with how a leader coaches one individual team member. It’s about how to encourage and give constructive feedback so that person can reach their highest potential.

Chaque personne étant différente, un leader peut avoir besoin d'adapter légèrement son style de leadership afin de l'aider à réussir.

3. Contexte de l'équipe

En zoomant plus loin, le contexte de l'équipe est, vous l'aurez deviné, centré sur les besoins et les motivations de l'ensemble de l'équipe. C'est là que la dynamique sociale entre en jeu et que les conflits peuvent devoir être résolus. C'est à ce moment-là qu'un leader peut avoir besoin de faire preuve de plus d'assurance et de détermination lorsque les membres de l'équipe se tournent vers lui pour obtenir des conseils.

Dans un contexte d'équipe, les dirigeants doivent évaluer la meilleure façon d'organiser et d'aligner une équipe en fonction des compétences de chaque membre de l'équipe afin d'atteindre un objectif commun.

4. Contexte organisationnel

Le leadership organisationnel est plus complexe et nécessite une réflexion stratégique plus poussée. Il est moins impliqué dans la dynamique d'équipe quotidienne et les objectifs individuels et se concentre davantage sur la structure et la direction globales de l'organisation.

Les dirigeants doivent adopter une vision à long terme et disposer des moyens nécessaires pour prendre des décisions importantes face à l'adversité. C'est là que la vision, la mission, les valeurs et les principes d'une entreprise sont essentiels. Réunir une organisation autour d'une vision et d'un objectif communs tout en étant capable de lire les indicateurs de performance et de tendance est le rôle du leader à cet égard.

5. Contexte de l'alliance

Le contexte final va au-delà d'une seule organisation pour examiner ce qui se passe lorsque deux organisations différentes — ou deux unités au sein d'une même organisation — se réunissent pour travailler sur un projet ou une initiative.

Par exemple, lorsque l'équipe marketing et l'équipe du service client s'associent pour travailler sur une nouvelle campagne, ou lorsqu'une entreprise de boissons gazeuses fait équipe avec un lieu d'événement pour promouvoir ses produits.

Dans ce contexte, le leadership nécessite une meilleure compréhension de la manière d'établir des rôles et des chaînes de responsabilité clairs, ainsi que de la manière de collaborer efficacement pour garantir la réalisation des objectifs de chaque organisation.

Les dirigeants ont donc la responsabilité d'aider à établir et à maîtriser les conditions de leur contexte. Ils font ce qu'ils peuvent et s'adaptent à eux-mêmes, à l'individu, à l'équipe ou à l'organisation pour tirer le meilleur parti de la situation.

Conclusion

Les différences entre le leadership et la gestion et les fonctions de la direction sont bien définies et il est important de les comprendre. Cependant, aujourd'hui, il est de plus en plus important de savoir comment alterner entre les deux, ce qui signifie que les managers doivent développer leurs compétences en matière de leadership.

Il ne suffit pas qu'un leader dirige les équipes ou leur indique simplement ce qu'elles doivent faire. Les leaders doivent cultiver la conscience de soi, être des communicateurs efficaces et savoir comment coacher et donner du feedback aux membres de l'équipe. Ils doivent également reconnaître que le leadership varie selon le contexte et comprendre comment répondre aux exigences de chaque contexte et de chaque moment.

Pour rester agiles et naviguer dans un environnement commercial incertain, investir dans le développement du leadership sera essentiel pour les organisations qui souhaitent rester pertinentes à l'avenir.

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