• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

This view of service management...

On the origin and the descent of managing services. We put meat on the bones.

  • Kanban eLearning
  • Services
    • Kanban Software Solutions
    • Consulting & Coaching
    • Training and Seminars
  • Posts
  • Events
    • Events – Agenda View
    • Events – Calendar View
    • International Service Management Calendar
  • Publications
    • Our Publications
    • Notable Publications
    • Quotes
  • About us

Leaders, managers and bosses

7 August 2014 by Robert Falkowitz Leave a Comment

Everyone is talking about leadership

Leadership is a popular theme for pundits these days. Many of them repeat the quote from (at the time) ex-U.S. president Theodore Roosevelt:

People ask the difference between a leader and a boss … The leader works in the open, and the boss in covert. The leader leads, and the boss drives.

To define a leader as someone who leads is not terribly useful, but the image of the driver is powerful. Roosevelt, a former rancher and cowboy, was not thinking so much of drivers of automobiles as he was thinking of the drivers, or drovers, of herds of cattle. Driving in this sense means forcing a herd to go in a direction it probably would not take on its own. Using the image of the famous cattle drives of old in the western United States, the drovers brought their charges to feedlots for fattening, before being slaughtered, then eaten.

Bosses vs. managers

But, the principal contrast is with the modern manager. This manager follows his or her charges, much like a shepherd. The flock knows what to do without help from the shepherd-manager. For the most part, it will do it effectively and without intervention. A lamb learns the art of being a member of the flock from the other members of the flock, not from the shepherd.

However, if the shepherd sees that the flock is wandering to a dangerous area, it is time to take a leadership role and bring the flock back on course, before retiring back to a position with good visibility of the entire flock. Also, the shepherd gives a helping hand to the ewe having trouble giving birth, to the lamb that has gotten stuck in a bog, to the ram that has become entangled in the thicket. The shepherd and the trusty dog protect the flock from wolves and other predators (especially the wolves in sheep’s clothing).

Learning to be a manager

Whence comes the intimate understanding of the flock and its individual members? Shepherding is not learnt in school, but by being among the flocks and from other shepherds. When the shepherd has understood this and has performed well, the results will be seen in a sustainably larger flock, in the volume of the wool produced and in abundant milk and cheeses (not to mention the occasional lamb chop).

In short, a boss ensures that a team acts as the boss wishes. A manager helps a team to perform as well as it can. Sometimes a manager leads, but most often a manager follows. But that does not mean that the manager is just gathering wool.

Summary
Article Name
Leaders, managers and bosses
Description
Leadership helps to distinguish bosses from managers. Modern managers are also effective leaders.
Author
Robert S. Falkowitz
Publisher Name
Concentric Circle Consulting
Publisher Logo
Concentric Circle Consulting

Filed Under: Organization Structure Tagged With: boss, cattle drover, leadership, learning, manager, shepherd

Subscribe to our mailing list

Click here to be the first to learn of our events and publications
  • Email
  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn
  • Phone
  • Twitter
  • xing
  • YouTube

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Primary Sidebar

Kanban eLearning

Kanban training online

Recent Posts

  • The role of the problem manager
  • The Three Indicators
  • Visualization of Configurations

Tag Cloud

ITIL lead time agile lean management process definition lean service manager incident management tools Incident Management risk resource liquidity process automation value bias cause rigidity value stream flow efficiency change control tools manifesto waste manifesto for software development kanban board urgency incident impact change management knowledge management kanban priority service request problem Cost of Delay ITSM leadership flow adaptive case management knowledge work
  • Kanban eLearning
  • Services
  • Posts
  • Events
  • Publications
  • Subscribe
  • Rights & Duties
  • Personal Data

© 2014–2022 Concentric Circle Consulting · All Rights Reserved.
Concentric Circle Consulting Address
Log in

This site uses cookies . You accept those cookies when you continue to use this site. Cookie policyAllow cookiesNo 3rd party non-functional cookiesCookie policy
You can revoke your consent any time using the Revoke consent button.Change cookie settings