Leaders and Managers

Posted on May 12, 2011 by jwwimberly

I am writing a series of posts on CRG about the differences between leaders and managers. They are two very different mindsets. Oftentimes, both exist within us. However, understanding when we need to think as a leader and when we need to think as a manager is crucial to success in our work. Here is the link. A second post will be up within a week or so. Thanks!

http://congregationalresources.org/blogs/manager-or-leader

About jwwimberly

I am a Presbyterian pastor who recently retired after thirty years of serving a congregation in the Foggy Bottom neighborhood of Washington, D.C. I am currently a Field Consultant for the Alban Institute as well as author of books dealing with management issues in congregations. I am a devoted potter, throwing pots on the wheel and teaching the wheel when my schedule allows. Finally, I consider Mexico my second homeland since we have a home in San Miguel de Allende, GTO, Mexico.

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2 Responses to Leaders and Managers

Margot Garcia says:

May 12, 2011 at 2:39 pm

I would like to see you blog about the difference between oversight and micromanagement. To me, micromanagement is telling a person what to do and how to do it; oversight is asking them what they did and why they did it.
What do you think?

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jwwimberly says:

May 12, 2011 at 2:46 pm

Thanks Margot. I will definitely write about that but more under personnel than leaders and managers. Micromanagement is definitely a huge problem. But so is almost no management. In my experience, the church tends to end up on one of those extremes rather than in the productive area that lies in between the extremes. I think the key to healthy oversight is to focus on outcomes, not how people get the outcome. So we tell an employee, “This is what we need to happen. It is your job to make it happen. Let me know if you need any help, additional resources or someone off of whom you can bounce ideas.” Then let them do their job. If they get the outcome, great. If they don’t, then we need to have a conversation about why not. More on this when I get to personnel stuff.

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