How much of a difference do you see between the roles of being a manager and being a director?
Our reader poll today asks: How much of a difference do you see between the roles of being a manager and being a director?
- There’s a world of difference. They’re completely separate types of roles. 48.84%
- There’s some difference between them, but not a lot. 36.45%
- Pretty much no difference — a director is a glorified manager. 14.71%
The role is what you make it. If you’re not seeing a big difference between managers and directors, someone is falling short of making that director role everything it could be. Moving to director is where you make the shift to getting things done through others. The other big shift is moving from having the right answers to asking the right questions. Directors need to see beyond the horizon and ask about the things no one (including themselves) is thinking about yet. Pushing the thinking beyond today’s pressing needs is how new opportunities and threats are identified.
Do you agree with these poll results? Let us know in the comments below!
– Mike Figliuolo at thoughtLEADERS, LLC
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These results were originally a SmartPulse poll in SmartBrief on Leadership which tracks feedback from more than 240,000 business leaders. Get smarter on leadership and sign up for the SmartBrief on Leadership e-newsletter.
Mike, this is a great question and I really appreciate your answer. Loved what you said about moving from “right answers” to “right questions” and “looking beyond the horizon”. You presented concepts that really help me determine where to draw the line on what situations to engage in.
If I could I’d like to suggest an addition to your description of a director and would appreciate your feedback because it is something I’ve been thinking about but could use help refining or dialing in:
> When making the transition from manager to director your sights have to shift from projects and problems to people and results.
This is not necessarily a fair cry from what you described but I think it’s a nuance worth noting. I have seen many instances where someone elevated from a manager position to a director (or next higher leadership position) focuses too much on the same problems he/she dealt with as a manger in an effort to show their worth or prove to others they can do what is perceived as the “hard work”. Your worth as a director is to stand by and wait in the shadows while your team solves the problems kicked up by the daily churn. What you are waiting for is the instance when your team needs the top cover you can provide or the nudge in the right direction when they get lost. If you let the daily noise distract you, the noise that your managers are skilled at handling themselves, then you will not be ready for when they truly need you.
I think you’re absolutely spot on with the perspective on problems/projects and looking at bigger issues. I 100% agree!