They say the way we do anything is the way we do everything.
When it comes to leadership and management, we tend to lead and manage in a paradigm dictated by our professional or vocational expertise—our worldview, if you like. For example…
Scientists manage scientifically.
Engineers manage with systems and processes.
Academics lead academically.
Accountants manage financially.
Typically, the leadership culture in an organisation reflects the nature of what it does.
But actually…
There’s no good reason why it should; there’s an explanation, but not a reason.
Management and leadership are both different arts in their own right, generally requiring a much greater understanding of human beings and a deeper affinity with them—something quite different from a vocational expertise.
Worth checking whether we’re over-applying our professional paradigm in our leadership role.
Good to adopt a distinct model for that part of what we do.
And that might mean abandoning some certainties.