Six Leadership Focus Areas That Differentiate Leaders From Managers
Going from being a manager to becoming a leader is all about mindset…where you place your focus and attention…and whether your mental focus is placed on getting things done or about leading people to achieve results.
This requires an emphasis on six critical leadership behaviors that impact sustainable success for any organization: 
- Leading People and Teams
- Leading for Results
- Ensuring Accountability
- Communicating as a Leader
- Leading Employee Engagement
- Leading Continuous People Development
These six leadership focus areas are the keys to creating a high-performing climate for whichever portion of the organization you lead.
Many research studies have proven that leaders who create positive workplace climates achieve more stellar results than leaders who do not. One of the most cited of such studies, by the Hay Group, showed that:
- A positive climate will increase results by up to 30%.
- A poor climate is virtually a guarantee of poor performance.
- 50% to 70% of the variance in organizational climate can be explained by differences in leadership styles.
It is also well documented that the maxim “people leave bosses, not organizations” is excruciatingly true. Unfortunately, this results in tremendous costs to organizations to replace good employees who leave due to the unsatisfying climate they find in their departments and work teams.
One of the key challenges facing leaders is knowing when to be a leader, and when to be a manager. Management and leadership each comprise a set of distinct behavioral skills and responsibilities. These are not style changes or personality traits that can be flipped on and off like a light switch.
This article is excerpted from my book Great Leadership Words of Wisdom, which is available on Amazon in both paperback and Kindle formats. It is currently ranked in the Top Ten books in the Kindle Store for Leadership and Leadership Motivation. Great Leadership Words of Wisdom makes an excellent Mother’s Day gift for the women leaders in your life. Order your copies here: Great Leadership Words of Wisdom
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