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Why Managing Isn’t Necessarily Leading

If you’ve been in the workplace for a decent amount of time, you’ve probably noticed that all managers are not necessarily leaders. In fact, sometimes the strongest leaders in the office are not in management at all. Why is that? What are these hidden characteristics that define leaders versus managers?

These are the five ways managers are different than leaders:

1. Leaders inspire others with vision.
2. Leaders practice humility.
3. Leaders trust others to carry out tasks to completion.
4. Leaders are confident, but not overbearing.
5. Leaders think larger than their own point of view.

1. Vision

One differentiating factor between a manager and a leader is that leaders inspire others with their vision. Management requires only that you mandate tasks and ensure that your team is completing them quickly and efficiently. Leadership, on the other hand, means you inspire others to think beyond the task at hand and focus on the overall mission. They inspire employees not just to do the work, but to love it by casting vision passionately and articulately.

2. Humility

Quite possibly the most important trait of a strong leader is humility. That’s why it’s one of our core values here at PerkSpot. We believe a great workplace cannot exist without it. The strongest leaders are ones who aren’t afraid to admit when they’re wrong. They possess the humility to share the spotlight with others, recognizing their achievements and pushing them to be the best version of themselves.

3. Trust

It’s 2019. No one micromanages anymore, right? Unfortunately, micromanagement is still alive and well in our workplaces. Leaders, on the contrary, do not micromanage. True leadership means trusting others to carry out responsibilities. In fact, the best workplaces are those which empower employees to use their strengths. Even the best leaders can’t be good at everything. That’s why it’s important to build a strong team around you and trust them to work together towards your mission.

4. Confidence

Confidence is a common trait among leaders, but not every assertive person in the workplace is a great leader. Any manager can be confident, but leaders are careful not to exhort their confidence over people. Instead, they speak their mind while also listening to other opinions. This trait goes hand in hand with humility, as it takes the perfect balance of both to create great leaders.

5. Perspective

Many managers get lost in their own personal point of view, or even their team’s. Great leaders are able to step outside of their own agendas and look at the greater good. They are able to (confidently and humbly) unify everyone towards a common goal. This is perhaps the most difficult trait to learn, but it’s what truly differentiates a manager from a leader.

Do you manage a team or are you working on your leadership skills? Tell us what you think makes a great leader in the comments.

Employee Engagement: Myth vs. Truth

employee engagement myths perkspot culture

These two words are changing everything: “Employee Engagement”

Bombarded with ideas of what employee engagement means, struggle with how to implement this in our businesses. But many of these ideas are not authentic representations of what’s happening in our offices.

We’re debunking the myths employers often believe about Employee Engagement.

Myth: Higher compensation = higher satisfaction.

80% of workers don’t consider money a factor in engagement. While fancy compensation packages work for some, the majority of employees simply aren’t motivated by money.

Truth: Opportunity for growth is essential to employee engagement.

What does work, however, is when employees have a place to grow and learn. Many employees are disengaged because they lack challenging assignments or don’t see how their position plays into the overall mission and vision of the company. By providing a path to success, employers can motivate their employees through a sense of purpose when they walk through the door every day.

Myth: Employees love trendy workplace policies and perks.

We see perks like work from home policies popping up left and right, but is this really what employees want? Often these employees become victims of “out of sight, out of mind” by the very policy meant to incentivize them.

Truth: Employees want to be heard.

While offering remote working perks is great for some, the root of the issue is that employees want to be heard. With increasing diversity, it’s key that employers take the time to listen and understand the challenges of their workforce, and ensure that everyone feels like part of the team.

Myth: Every manager knows what it takes to engage employees.

The Association for Talent Development states that a “New survey finds that most managers enter the role without formal training.” It’s obvious that employee engagement, like other management skills, involves proper training and development which is simply not a focus in many of our business practices.

Truth: Every manager needs to learn how to engage employees.

There are so many things we think about employee engagement that simply aren’t true. As part of your onboarding practice, managers should learn the keys to employee engagement, starting with knowing the difference between employee engagement and employee happiness. New manager? Start here.

Myth: Non-cash rewards don’t work as well as cash.

Think a $50 bill is better than a pat on the back? Yes, there is a time and a place for putting your money where your mouth is; but, research shows that more and more employees are seeking recognition and rewards above monetary compensation.

Truth: Recognition and rewards improves business results.

Bersin & Associates, through extensive research, proved that employers who implement employee recognition practices produce 12 times more business results than their counterpart. This evidence is huge in not only showing the importance of recognition on employee engagement, but also its impact on the overall success of our business.

Don’t let what you think about employee engagement trump the realities of what your employees want.