Lawrence Fine

Frequently we mistake managers for leaders. While a manager might be a leader and a leader might be a manager, there is no guarantee that a manager is a leader or a leader is a manager.

A manager would do things such as hire, train, monitor etc. They are concerned with making sure others do things a certain way (hopefully, the right way). A leader instigates and takes charge and instead of waiting for others to be first, the leader is the first to do things.

Managers are important. Someone must organize things. Someone must educate people. Someone must schedule. If it weren’t for managers, troops going into battle would be marching into many ambushes.

If there is an emergency, a manager is the one who makes sure there are enough people to deal with the situation, assigns tasks, monitors progress etc. Sometimes there is some resentment toward these managers because while the workers are getting their hands dirty (figuratively or literally), the manager is “above it all” monitoring.

Leaders are vital. Someone must be out front. Someone must set the example. Someone must motivate through actions instead of just words. If it weren’t for leaders, troops would be well organized, well planned and never get into the field.

If there is an emergency, the leader is frequently the first one to get their hands dirty. They are “in the ditches” they are leading the charge. When the workers are wondering if they should continue, the leader is the one who sets the example to keep marching, keep fighting keep doing.

Managers without leaders result in inaction

Leaders without managers result in chaos.

There are some great examples from history of people who are both but they are rare.

The big mistake is to mistake a manager for a leader or a leader for a manager when they aren’t both. Recognizing the difference and the importance of each will result in a much better organization

Have a great day!

Lawrence
If you haven’t done so already please check out the book “11 +10 = 1” at http://lawrencefine.com/sales.php

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Too many people think they are entitled to things without having given anything of their own.

We want others to do things for us but aren’t willing to do things for others.

We want donations but aren’t willing to donate.

We want others to sacrifice for us but aren’t willing to sacrifice for others

We want information but aren’t willing to share what we know.

We want big salaries but aren’t willing to make the sacrifices to earn them.

We want jobs but aren’t willing to work.

We want bailouts but aren’t willing to cut back ourselves.

In short, we want but wont give.

Those who realize life is not a one way road are the ones who will benefit in the long run. The others, will simply complain that it’s not fair.

Have a great day!

Lawrence

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Sometimes in business, and in life, we think it’s best to portray the image of infallibility. We want people to think our organization runs perfectly at all times, no hiccups along the way, we can do anything.

The truth is, no one is perfect. Those who claim to be, tend to be even less perfect than most.

Be honest, admit your weaknesses and you will gain even more credibility.

Have a great day!

Lawrence

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Life is much more manageable when the only thing you have to remember is the truth. If you tell different lies to different people, you need to keep each lie straight and make sure you don’t tell the wrong story to the wrong group. It’s much easier to simply tell all the truth.

The one person it is sometimes acceptable to lie to is yourself. If you are in a bad mood, lie to yourself and tell yourself you feel GREAT! If you have a long day of work in front of you and aren’t looking forward to it, lie to yourself and tell yourself you are LOOKING FORWARD to the long day and you are happy about it.

A positive attitude can take you far in this world and sometimes, to get to the positive attitude, it does require you to fool yourself, in the beginning.

It’s really only a partial lie because while you might be telling yourself it’s a great day when you don’t think it really is, in a very short period of time, it will be a great day. If you get laid off from your company and you tell yourself it’s a great opportunity, at that very moment, it might not seem to be, but in a short period of time, it will be.

Be truthful with others and until you develop a truly positive attitude, be willing to fool yourself in the beginning.

Have a great day!

Lawrence

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Many of us only want to deal with the black and white issues of facts. The less we address the gray issues (usually dealing more with opinions or interpretations) the happier we are.

The problem is….facts change!

The world is FLAT … this was thought to be a fact but in reality was an incorrect opinion.

Man evolved from apes (some will argue this is indisputably true, others are convinced it’s fault, both sides feel their side is fact)

There are many examples of “facts” that after much research have proven to be not true at all. So if the only thing you take into consideration are facts, how do you know your facts are actually accurate?

You could go to wikipedia but there is nothing to guarantee those postings are correct.

You could go to a search engine and search for your answer but anyone can create a web site that may or may not be accurate.

You could ask experts but there are numerous examples of experts being proven wrong.

While it’s good to have as many facts as possible, keep in mind that the gray frequently is quite accurate as well. Allow for peoples interpretations and their misinterpretations. Open your mind, go with your gut and realize what you think is fact might be proven to be just another misleading opinion so don’t just take someones word for things, actually think about it yourself and make an educated conclusion on your own

Facts are wonderful but they aren’t always what they might seem

Have a great day!

Lawrence

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Many times, within large groups, small cliques develop. It could be because of common interests, common hatreds or sometimes because the thing they have in common is they all have nothing in common with the rest of the group.

While cliques develop quite naturally (in most cases), they can cause a great deal of problems for the group as a whole.

If the leaders don’t recognize the clique early and work to make sure no damage is caused by them (sometime directly but more often indirectly) then it frequently gets to the point where it’s almost unsalvageable.

Frequently, these cliques develop because they want to feel part of a group and for whatever reason they don’t feel part, initially, of the larger group. This is why it’s so important to recognize the situation early. If you, as the leader, can recognize the minor discontent early, you can get them integrated with the larger group and prevent future problems.

These cliques frequently develop quite innocently but often end up causing major problems. Identifying them early and determining what is the reason behind these cliques forming is the first step to preventing them from developing or eliminating them once they develop.

It does require recognizing their development, understanding the problems that can result from them and some effort to get them integrated into the bigger group but this extra effort is well worth it, in the long run

Have a great day!

Lawrence

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We all know people who have undergone upheaval due to changes in the workplace. In many cases, these are people who have been doing their work for a long time.

The problem is our world is constantly changing. What worked last decade, last year, last month will not necessarily work today, tomorrow or next year.

Change simply for the sake of change doesn’t make sense.

Change to keep up will usually result in you falling behind

Change to stay ahead of the competition will keep you successful.

Have a great day!

Lawrence

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