SIMON SINEK: Leader verus manager

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23 Oct 201903:39

Summary

TLDRThe transcript emphasizes the often-overlooked qualities of empathy and perspective in leadership. It highlights the common oversight of focusing on status rather than nurturing those under one's charge. The speaker criticizes the lack of training for leaders, pointing out the gap between being good at one's job and managing others. Leadership is portrayed as a skill that requires practice and comes with personal sacrifices, such as giving credit to others and taking responsibility in failures. The speaker also challenges the notion of CEOs prioritizing customers, suggesting they are actually responsible for those who interact with customers.

Takeaways

🌟 Great leaders need empathy and perspective, which are often overlooked.
👨‍💼 Leaders are frequently preoccupied with their status, forgetting their true role is to care for those they lead, not just to be in charge.
📚 Early in our careers, we are trained to excel at our jobs, but not on how to lead when we are promoted.
🔄 There's a critical transition from being responsible for a job to being responsible for the people doing the job, which some never make.
🛠 Leadership is a skill that can be learned and developed, much like any other skill, and requires continuous practice.
💪 Strong leadership is built through daily practice, while neglect leads to weakness in leadership abilities.
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Not everyone has the desire or should be a leader, just as not everyone wants or should be a parent, despite having the capacity.
🔐 Leadership involves personal sacrifice, such as giving credit to others and taking responsibility for failures.
🕵️‍♂️ Leaders are responsible for guiding and supporting their team, not just for the job outcomes or results.
🤔 CEOs often claim customers as their priority, but they are actually responsible for the people who are responsible for the customers.
🚫 Many companies fail to teach leadership skills, which are essential for those in charge to truly lead effectively.

Q & A

What are the two essential qualities mentioned for great leaders in the script?
-Empathy and perspective are the two essential qualities mentioned for great leaders in the script.
Why do leaders often forget their real job according to the transcript?
-Leaders often forget their real job because they become too concerned about their status or position in the organization, rather than focusing on taking care of those in their charge.
What is the primary responsibility of a leader as described in the script?
-The primary responsibility of a leader is not about being in charge, but about taking care of those in their charge.
Why do some people become managers instead of leaders?
-Some people become managers instead of leaders because they are promoted due to their expertise in doing the job, rather than their ability to lead others.
What is the main reason for the lack of leadership skills among some managers?
-The main reason for the lack of leadership skills is that companies often do not teach or train individuals on how to lead when they are promoted to managerial positions.
What is the process of transitioning from being responsible for a job to being responsible for people?
-The process involves moving from focusing on the job itself to focusing on the people who are responsible for the job, which requires a shift in perspective and skill set.
Why is leadership described as a skill that needs to be practiced like a muscle?
-Leadership is described as a skill that needs to be practiced because, like any other skill, it improves with use and can deteriorate without practice.
What is the personal sacrifice involved in being a leader according to the script?
-The personal sacrifice involved in being a leader includes giving away credit when things go right and taking responsibility when things go wrong, as well as investing time and effort in guiding and supporting team members.
Why do some CEOs claim their priority is the customer, and what is the speaker's critique of this claim?
-Some CEOs claim their priority is the customer because they believe they are directly responsible for customer satisfaction. The speaker critiques this by stating that CEOs are actually responsible for the people who are responsible for the customer, not the customer themselves.
What is the difference between being responsible for a job and being responsible for the people doing the job?
-Being responsible for a job means focusing on the tasks and outcomes of the work itself. Being responsible for the people doing the job means focusing on their well-being, development, and the environment in which they work.
How does the speaker suggest leaders should handle situations when something goes wrong?
-The speaker suggests that leaders should encourage their team members to try again instead of taking over or reacting with anger, thus placing the pressure on themselves rather than on the team.

Outlines

00:00

🌟 Empathy and Perspective in Leadership

The speaker emphasizes the importance of empathy and perspective as essential qualities for great leaders, which are often overlooked. Leaders tend to focus on their status within the organization, neglecting their true role, which is to care for those they lead rather than just being in charge. The speaker points out that while there is ample training for job-specific skills, there is a lack of training for leadership. As individuals progress in their careers, they are expected to transition from doing the job to managing those who do the job, but this transition is not always smooth or successful. Leadership is presented as a skill that can be learned and developed, much like a muscle, and it requires constant practice to maintain strength. The speaker also touches on the personal sacrifices involved in leadership, such as giving credit to others and taking responsibility for failures.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡Empathy

Empathy refers to the ability to understand and share the feelings of others. In the context of the video, it is one of the two essential qualities a leader must possess. The speaker emphasizes that leaders often forget about empathy in their pursuit of status or position, which is a critical oversight because true leadership involves caring for those under one's charge, as illustrated by the statement 'the real job of a leader is... taking care of those in our charge.'

💡Perspective

Perspective denotes a particular attitude towards or way of regarding something; a point of view. The video suggests that great leaders need to have a broader perspective, often overlooked in favor of immediate status or position. The concept is integral to the theme as it implies a holistic understanding of the organization and its people, beyond just the individual's role or advancement.

💡Leadership

Leadership is defined as the action of leading a group of people or an organization. The video's theme revolves around the distinction between being a manager and a leader. It points out that leadership is not about being in charge but about taking care of people, as evidenced by the phrase 'not about being in charge it's about, taking care of those in our charge.' The script also discusses the lack of training in leadership skills within companies.

💡Status

Status refers to the relative social or professional position of someone. In the video, status is mentioned as a distraction for leaders from their true responsibilities. Leaders are cautioned against focusing on their status within the organization, which can detract from their primary role of caring for their team members, as indicated by 'leaders are so often so concerned about, their status or their position in, organization.'

💡Position

Position pertains to a person's role or rank within an organization. The video script uses the term to highlight the common misconception that being promoted to a higher position automatically makes someone a leader. It contrasts the idea of being in a position of authority with the actual responsibilities of leadership, as shown in 'leaders are so often so concerned about, their status or their position in, organization.'

💡Responsibility

Responsibility is the state or fact of having a duty to deal with something or someone. The video emphasizes that a leader's real job is to be responsible for the people under their charge, not just for the tasks or results. This is evident in the lines 'the real job of a leader is... taking care of those in our charge' and 'you're responsible for those in your charge.'

💡Training

Training refers to the process of teaching someone, or the fact of being taught, a particular skill or type of behavior. The script points out that while companies provide ample training for job-specific skills, they often fail to train individuals in leadership, which is a skill that can be learned and improved with practice, as mentioned in 'companies are not teaching us how to, lead.'

💡Promotion

Promotion is the act of raising someone to a higher position or rank. The video discusses how individuals are promoted based on their job performance, but this does not necessarily prepare them for the responsibilities of leadership. The script states, 'if you're good at your job, they'll promote you,' highlighting the gap between job proficiency and leadership ability.

💡Micromanagement

Micromanagement is the practice of managing or controlling someone or something very closely or meticulously. The video uses this term to describe a common issue where managers, because they know the job better than their subordinates, tend to control every detail of the work process. This behavior is contrasted with the more empowering approach of leadership, as seen in 'the reason our managers, are micromanaging us is because they, actually do know how to do do the job.'

💡Personal Sacrifice

Personal sacrifice refers to the act of giving up something valuable for the sake of something else. The video script mentions that leadership comes with a significant personal sacrifice, such as giving credit to others when things go well and taking responsibility when they go wrong. This is exemplified by 'it comes at, great personal, sacrifice, remember you're not in charge you're, responsible for those in your charge.'

💡Priority

Priority is the fact or condition of being regarded or treated as more important than others. The video challenges the common claim of CEOs that their priority is the customer, suggesting that they are actually responsible for the people who are responsible for the customer. This is highlighted in the line 'they're just not they're responsible for, the people who are responsible for the, people who are responsible for the, customer.'

Highlights

Leaders need to possess empathy and perspective, qualities often forgotten in the pursuit of status and position.

Leaders' real job is to take care of those under their charge, not just to be in charge.

Many leaders are not trained for their role, focusing instead on job-specific skills.

Employees are often promoted based on job performance without learning how to manage others.

Managers may micromanage because they know the job better, not necessarily how to lead.

Leadership is a skill that can be learned and developed like a muscle.

Leadership requires a transition from being responsible for the job to being responsible for the people.

Most companies lack training programs to teach leadership skills.

Leadership involves personal sacrifice, such as giving credit to others and taking responsibility for failures.

Great leaders prioritize the well-being of their team over their own recognition.

Leaders should encourage their team to learn from mistakes rather than taking over when things go wrong.

Leaders are responsible for the people responsible for the job, not directly for the job or results.

CEOs often claim customer priority, but they are actually responsible for the people who are responsible for the customer.

Leadership is a capacity everyone has, but not everyone should or wants to be a leader.

Leadership requires continuous practice to maintain and improve, similar to parenting.

The transition to leadership can be quick for some and slow for others, with some never making the transition.

Leadership involves staying late to support team members and facing pressures when things go wrong.