Do as I say NOT as I do

“Do as I say, not as I do.”  The infamous quote of authority, or as some might say lack thereof. When thinking about an authority figure, that would preach a quote that is essentially telling followers to “you must do what I say, but I don’t have to do it.” How can you consider yourself an authority figure if you don’t want your “followers” to follow you? But the question isn’t how can you lead people with that mentality? The real question is who would follow someone like that? No one, willingly. You follow management because you do not want to be reprimanded, not by choice. Someone who is managing a group can get away with the “Do what I say; not as I do” mentality because their sole purpose is to “baby-sit” a group of subordinates. Managing a group of people does not mean you are invested into the people and the future of the group. It means “having executive or supervisory control or authority.” It means having someone to tell you when your behavior is out of line or dictate how you should do things. The word managing can turn working people into tangible objects like money or equipment. Having an understanding for the word management will only magnify the difference between managing and leading.

“If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader.” President John Adams was quoted saying that in a time without the internet or media, yet these words still have so much relevance. Being a leader isn’t about the authority or control, it’s about having a vision. Not just having a vision but being able to convey that vision to other people. A leader invests their heart and soul into their group, their team, their organization, whomever they can impact is a target for a leader. A leader isn’t a paid position it’s a voluntary act that someone puts upon themselves. Looking at the action “to lead” someone has to have a sense of direction of where they want to go. Having a lost leader is no better than having an abundance of people with different senses of directions, both get you nowhere. That is the impact of leadership. Being able to separate yourself from the pack and create followers that share your vision and choose to endure the journey with you embodies what the late President John Adams stated.  

Now some people may be wondering since we have determined that management and leadership are two very different things can they coexist. Can someone be a good manager and a good leader? Quite simply yes, just as easy as someone can be a good manager but a bad leader and vice versa. The importance is knowing that they are separate and have huge impacts on the success of a group. When trying to think of an example where this information is relevant, I immediately think of the rise of Apple products under the guidance of Steve Jobs. In 1996, Apple was on the brink of bankruptcy, today Apple is the “world’s most admired high tech company” (Business Insider,2011). What was the key to their success? Steve Jobs. Jobs wasn’t exactly your ideal coworker. He was known for being arrogant, dictatorial and downright mean- spirited. This was not a great set up for a positive work experience for his employees. Yet, many of them remained intact. Despite his flaws as a CEO or managing the company, Jobs was a great leader. “I believe that he had at least three qualities that great executive leaders have:  a clear vision, a passion for the company and its people, and an ability to inspire trust “(Rutgers, 2011). Jobs vision is clear throughout his ups and downs in his career, he always knew his goal. 
Having vision is one of the greatest qualities of leadership, because you can see beyond the present. You are envisioning something greater than what already exist and hoping that people jump on board. That is a risk that many people are afraid to take, but a leader steps into the unknown without faltering. That confidence is what pulls in followers, if someone can turn left when everyone is turning right alone, people notice. They start asking the question, "why are we all going right anyway?" And just like that, you have followers. Gaining the ability to earn people's trust to walk into uncharted territories behind you, is the fundamentals of leadership. “Have the courage to follow your heart and your intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become" (Jobs, 2005). Steve Jobs shows how regardless of what people think about you, a good leader will lead.

However, good leadership doesn’t always mean a good vision. A clear example of this is Adolf Hitler. After the reparations placed upon Germany after World War I, morally they were in shambles. Hitler used this as fuel for his reign throughout Europe with his desire to preserve the Arian race. It is easy to look from the outside and judge. How can people follow someone who’s sanity could be in question? Good leadership. Hitler had a vision, the German people were lost, feeling as if they were walking in the dark and Hitler was their light switch. His charisma and clear vision made it easy for people to follow. Despite all the horrors that were brought with Hitler’s regime, it is almost praise worthy to see how leadership can influence a nation of people.

Without good leaders, I am not confident that our world would be where it is today. From the civil rights movement to self-driving cars, these are all ideas that were driven by leaders. It would be wrong to say good management is not essential for success of an organization, however that is not what drives them forward. Leaders are your innovators, whether that’s with a product or a cultural movement, we would be stagnant without them. Anyone can tell people what to do, but to build trust and influence people to believe in what you believe, is where leaders flourish.