Very good Leadership and Management training

Very good Leadership and Management training

On our leadership and management training programmes we make important distinctions between similar but different concepts

It is important to distinguish between similar but different concepts for the same reason that it is important to distinguish between a pussy cat and a tiger.
If you think you are dealing with a hungry pussy cat when, in reality, you are dealing with a hungry tiger, then you may experience some serious problems.
If you attend our very good leadership and management training programme, then here is a list of some of the distinctions that we will ask you to make:

• Funny vs silly
• Leader vs manager
• Criticism vs cynicism
• Opinion vs fact
• Stubborn vs determined
• Busy vs productive work
• Insult vs feedback

Funny vs silly

Humour is often used to ease the day. But humour has two major types.

• Humour that is funny: this means: intelligently amusing, witty, and fun.
• Humour that is silly: this means: mistakenly clowning around, being crass, puerile, idiotic.

Don't get these two mixed up.

Being funny is fine. But that means being witty, not being the clown.

Leader vs manager

Is there a difference between being a leader and being a manager?

A leader is a member of a team or organisation who is primarily responsible for:

1. The creation and communication of a clear goal.
2. Inspiring other people to act in order to achieve the goal.
3. Acting as a source of motivation by being a role model.

Whereas, we define a manager as being a member of a team or organisation who is primarily responsible for:

1. Organising
2. Implementing
3. Delivering the goals that are set out by the leadership

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Criticism vs cynicism

• Criticism is the act of identifying errors and omissions, in a project, with the intention of making the project better, by suggesting the implementation of beneficial changes.
• Cynicism is the act of identifying errors and omissions, in a project, with the intention of stopping the project, by holding up the implementation of any beneficial changes.

It is a right and proper thing to do: to identify errors and omissions in a project, but make sure you are doing it for the right reasons.

It is right and proper for others to identify errors and omissions in your project, but make sure they are not doing it in order simply to prevent the implementation of progressive changes.

Opinion vs fact

A fact is a primary identification of an event or object by means of a direct sensory perception. An opinion is a statement that denotes your evaluation, your judgement of the relative value, of a given fact.

Notice the difference between these two statements:

• That is a blue sky. Fact
• That is a beautiful sky. Opinion

Many people do not distinguish between opinions and facts. They mistakenly believe that all their opinions are facts. So, they say weird things, such as, "This new manager we have, is really annoying, and that is a fact!"

No it is not a fact. It is your opinion. Check yourself and verify that you are not guilty of the common mistake of confusing your opinions with hard facts.

Stubborn vs determined

Stubbornness is a vice and determination is a virtue.

Determination is the refusal to give up on a goal. No matter how many setbacks and disappointments you have to suffer, you keep going, modifying your plans until you achieve your desired ambition.

Stubbornness is the refusal to give up a particular habit. No matter how much you are told that the habit is counterproductive or even harmful, you keep saying to yourself, "I am not changing!" "I am what I am".

If you are determined, then nothing can stop you from achieving your ambitions. If you are stubborn, then nothing can stop you from repeating your time-worn, ingrained mistakes.

Be determined. Don't be stubborn.

Busy vs productive work

Busy work is any activity. Productive work is only those activities that add value to your day. Many people are busy on activities that don't add any value to anyone's day. Some people are busily engaged in activities that take value from other people's days; i.e. they are busy engaged in destructive activity.

Don't be destructive. Don't do things that don't add value. Do only those things that add value to your days and the lives of others.

Insult vs feedback.

Feedback is a message that tells you that someone else thinks you are doing something incorrectly. Insult is a message that tells you that someone else thinks that you are a bad person.

Feedback differs from insults because all insults are:

• Emotionalised
• Vague
• Opinionated
• Do not suggest a specific corrective action.

Whereas, feedback messages are the opposite.

Feedback messages are:

• None emotionalised
• Specific
• Factual
• Do, indeed, suggest a specific corrective action

For example: if you tell me that I am a fool, then that is an insult.
Whereas, if you tell me I have a spelling mistake in this document, then that is feedback.
Distinguish information from insult and have a different policy for each.

Summary

Learn to distinguish all these similar but different terms. Don't get confused and mix them up.
Think straight and keep the differences clear and distinct, in your mind.
And then, when you have the above list clear: try and sort out the following distinctions, for yourself.

Reason vs excuse for not doing something.
Morally wrong vs factually wrong.

The difference between "An Untrue statement" and "a lie".
The difference between "An understanding" and "an agreement".

For more information about leadership and management training please visit the Corporate Coach Training website [Training Banner]