If you chose to be a leader you would probably say, “Group, we are in a tricky situation that requires all of us to work as a team to survive. We may have tough times ahead of us and we’re probably all in shock about the situation we find ourselves in, but I believe we can all survive this if we work together. What do you say?

If you decided the best thing to do is to be a manager, you might say, “Group, we need to work carefully but quickly. I think we should divide into two teams. One team should stay with the plane and build a fire and shelter. The other team should move inland and see if there is anyone else here.”

When you are a leader, you are engaging to build community. You are looking to connect to the hearts and minds of your followers by enlisting them to share your vision. When you are a manager, you are focusing on tactics, goals and plans. You are looking for short-term actions.

Which is best approach in this situation? If you choose leadership, you have to follow up your leadership with an action plan. The good thing about being a true leader is you don’t have to work alone. Leaders move others to join the cause and the group or members of the group can decide on the next steps. If you are a manager, you are attending to the urgency of the situation with specific tasks. The only problem is, if these tactics don’t work, the group will eventually turn on the manager because there is little built-in trust or community.

As a small business owner, you are called upon to be both a leader and a manager. Leaders answer the question: Why should we do this? Their competencies include: 

Why the ability to serve and support others
Why the ability to make wise decisions on behalf of others
Why the ability to influence culture
Why the ability to use emotions well
Why the ability to be ethical, demonstrate integrity and good character

Managers answer the question: How do we do this? Their competencies include:
• Planning
• Organizing
• Controlling
• Directing

If you thought about it, which set of competencies do you call on more often? Only you can decide on how you divide your energy. But I would challenge you to think about if you are a leader who manages or a manger that leads.