Linked 2 Leadership

Here is a story about understanding the difference between management and leadership.

An Age Old Story

In a rickety old part of town an old man goes to an old boiler factory to fix the only boiler on the work site. He gets shown around, told about the boiler problem, what had happened prior to it seizing up and stopping.  The factory manager asked him if there was anything he could do to bring it back to life.

He replied by asking if he could explore the whole boiler system by himself. After a while of deeply exploring the depths of the system he took out his hammer from his tool bag and hit the boiler hard, one time, in one place.

And as if by a miracle the whole boiler system shuddered and started to work – much better than it ever previously did.

The factory manager was amazed – he thanked the boiler engineer and asked him to send his invoice for prompt payment.

Two days later the factory manager received an invoice for $1000.

Horrified by the flat fee of the invoice, he requested a breakdown of his charges.

Another two days later he received the revised invoice.

Moral of the Story

The moral of this story is simplistic but often overlooked.

Management ability can be compared to knowing how to use a hammer.

Leadership is knowing where to tap.

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Brad Waldron is Director at Origin BJJ UK
He serves as a Leading World Class Speaker, Facilitator & Corporate Athlete
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Image Sources: jobsite.com

Filed under: Authentic Leadership, Emotionally Intelligent Leadership, Leadership Lessons Learned, Leadership vs. Management, Servant Leadership Tagged: | business, emotional intelligence, leadership, Leadership vs. Management, Management