The column "Leadership Whiteboard" provides a short visual leadership coaching moment. It introduces and explains a new sketch in each issue, provides leadership coaching for further development, and shares a leadership quote and recommended book.

Leader or Manager?

Leadership is not better than management. The two function differently, but both are vital to an organization. People often confuse the roles of leaders and managers. Just like the illustration below shows, leaders don’t drive the ship; they plot the course.

The one behind the wheel has a good view but cannot see everything the captain does who can glimpse the whole ship and observe where the ship is in relation to other ships and threats. The ship could be run by managers until a monsoon or change of mission occurs. You want a resilient leader who stays calm in the roughest seas and inspires others to steer in a healthy direction.

Managing in the storms tends to lose crew members, because they stay on the same course. Why? They always have steered this way. The greatest catastrophe managers tend to miss is how the slow loss of crew or taking on water can eventually sink or capsize the organization because they are adverse to risk or change.

Leaders attract and inspire crew who work hard, not passengers who enjoy the ride.

About the Columnist: Ron Hunter Jr. has served as the director of Randall House Publications for 14 years, and has led the organization into family ministry initiatives for the past 12 years.