The document discusses the differences between managers and leaders, highlighting various leadership styles and decision-making processes that are influenced by cultural contexts. It outlines essential competencies necessary for effective leadership, differentiating them from managerial skills while emphasizing the core values shared by good leaders across different settings. Additionally, it proposes a series of activities aimed at helping participants identify and understand these distinctions and competencies.

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Dr. Philip Vaughter
Research Fellow
UNU Institute for the Advanced Study of
Sustainability (UNU-IAS)
ProSPER.Net Leadership Programme
2018 ProSPER.Net Leadership
Programme
“Leadership for Urban Sustainable
Development”
Hosted by RMIT University
Leadership Activity I –
Manager vs. Leader

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Leadership in Different Cultures
 A recent article in the Harvard Business Review (Chamorro-Premuzic
& Sanger, 2016), states that cultures differ in their theories of
leadership
 While core components of leadership remain consistent across
cultures, certain nuances are observed across geographic regions or
institutional settings
 The article demonstrates how decision making, communication
style, and mismanagement practices are varied according to these
patterns, and identifies a few predominant types of each
 This means that your style of leadership may be an asset or a
weakness depending on the culture of the region or the institution
you are operating in
13/11/2018Leadership Activity I – Melbourne, Australia
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Decision Making
 The two types of decision makers:
 The Synchronized Leader:
 Seeks consensus on decisions
 Reaching decisions may take longer as a result
 Often, more focused on threats than rewards
 The Opportunistic Leader:
 Demonstrate flexibility on how to achieve a goal
 Check with team members to update them of changing plans
 Often, take greater risks to gain greater rewards
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Communication Style
 Two common communication styles:
 The Straight-Shooting Leader:
 Confronts issues straightforwardly
 Tends to focus communication on tasks – task oriented
 Less interpersonally sensitive
 The Diplomatic Leader:
 Careful messaging to team members – empathy important
 Gauge audience reactions during negotiations and meetings
 Tend to be seen as polite and agreeable
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Mismanagement Practices
 Two types of leadership mistakes:
 The “Kiss-Up/Kick Down” Leader:
 Non-reciprocal – reports up with respect and deference, reports down
with contempt
 Tends to use directives and lack of compromise with subordinates
 Dynamic can play out with differential treatment on team
 The Passive-Aggressive Leader:
 Tend to become cynical, mistrusting, and resistant under stress
 Appear overtly cooperative, but continually express skepticism
 Ironically, aversion to conflict often generates a great deal of conflict
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Despite our differences…
 While there is a diversity of leadership traits that vary, some core
components of leadership remain the same across regions and
institutions:
 All (good) leaders must:
 Use good judgement and make rational decisions
 Demonstrate integrity
 Possess communication skills and motivate people
 Value the common good
 Have a vision
 It is important to recognize that a leader is different than a manager
 A manager brings many positive attributes to the new role of a leader
 However, there are some competencies a manager must leave behind
when becoming a leader
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Activity Objectives
 To clarify the difference between the roles of a manager and leader
 To identify which behaviors are still appropriate or expected as an
individual moves from one role to another
 To define which tasks and responsibilities can be passed to others as
one moves from a manager position to a leadership position
 To encourage participants to think through which key competencies
they still have to attain as they shift from manager to leadership
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Theoretical Background
 Many researchers have looked at the differences between managers
and leaders
 In his book A Force for Change, John Kotter outlines these
differences:
 To create an agenda
 A Manager: plans steps, timelines, budgets, resources
 A Leader: establishes direction and vision
 To develop a network for achieving the agenda
 A Manager: organizes structure and staff, monitors implementation
 A Leader: aligns people behind the vision
 To execute a plan
 A Manager: minimizes deviations to produce predictable results
 A Leader: energizes people to overcome obstacles to reach their vision
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Activity Instructions
 Step 1: Divide into groups. A list of competencies will be shown on the next slide. Each
person in the group is to identify competencies they believe leaders must have and
competencies that are necessary for managers. Take notes to explain why. [10
minutes]
 Step 2: Share your answers among your group. Within your group, come to a
consensus about which are the most important competencies (Choose 3-5) for both a
manager and a leader. Name these competencies in two separate lists. [15 minutes]
 Step 3: Compare your lists with other groups. If you notice different competencies, ask
about them. What choices did everyone else make? Did these change your mind about
your group’s list? The presenter will now show a slide detailing where most leadership
experts assign the competencies. [10 minutes]
 Step 4: Go back to your groups to report to the floor. List your top competencies for
both managers and leaders. Did talking to other groups change your answers? The
goal is to see which competencies for both managers and leaders have the most
agreement. [10 minutes]
 Step 5: Open Discussion:
 What are the competencies you respect most in the leaders whom you have worked with?
 What holds back a manager from becoming a leader?
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10. + Competencies
 Has a short range
perspective
 Asks what and why
 Eyes the bottom line
 Originates
 Accepts the status quo
 Does the correct thing
 Seeks continuity
 Focuses on innovation
 Power based on
authority
 Skills for selling vision
 Skills in administration
 Skills in persuasion
 Works toward employee
compliance
 Plans tactics
 Sets policy
 Analytical decision-
making
 Risk cautious
 Plans how and when
 Long range perspective
 Skills in dealing with
ambiguity
 Takes necessary
risks
 Intuitive decision-
making
 Sets operating
procedures
 Plans strategy
 Works toward
employee
commitment
 Skills in supervision
 Skills for technical
competence
 Focuses on
improvement
 Seeks change
 Does things
correctly
 Challenges the
status quo
 Imitates
 Eyes horizon
 Power based on
influence
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11. + Competencies: Manager vs. Leader
 Short-range
perspective
 Plans how and when
 Eyes the bottom line
 Imitates
 Accepts the status
quo
 Does things correctly
 Seeks continuity
 Focuses on
improvement
 Power based on
authority
 Skills for technical
competence
 Skills in
administration
 Skills in supervision
 Works towards
employee
compliance
 Plans tactics
 Sets operating
procedures
 Analytical decision
making
 Risk cautious
 Long-range
perspective
 Asks what and why
 Eyes the horizon
 Originates
 Challenges the
status quo
 Does the correct
thing
 Seeks change
 Focuses on
innovation
 Power is influence
 Skills in selling vision
 Skills in dealing with
ambiguity
 Skills in persuasion
 Works toward
employee
commitment
 Plans strategy
 Sets policy
 Intuitive decision
making
 Takes necessary
risks
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A Manager A Leader