Leadership and Management Published Nov. 10, 2014 By Maj. Ryan Carville 436th Comptroller Squadron commander DOVER AIR FORCE BASE, Del. -- As Airmen we are taught leadership from day one--setting the right example, inspiring others, leading among our peers and leading within our organizations. Management, or being a manager, has almost become a bad word; micromanagement and management in lieu of leadership. However, in any successful organization both management and leadership are essential. Our armed forces today are extremely challenged when it comes to funding and manpower. We need leadership to determine what our direction is and to focus efforts to avoid waste. Also, we need talented managers to analyze our processes and programs and determine how to overcome these challenges. As Airmen we must know when to use management and when to use leadership. The key to this is to know your role in the organization and make sure you're answering the right questions. No matter where you fall in the chain of command or what organization you belong to, you must use both management and leadership, although not at the same ratios. Senior leaders guide organizations while lower level personnel practice individual leadership and lead among their peers. Senior leaders practice more leadership than management whereas lower level personnel practice more management than leadership. It is absolutely essential to know where you fall in this spectrum. If you reverse these ratios, you and your organization could be working in the wrong direction. Two pitfalls: Micromanagement - this is when senior level personnel get too far in the weeds in determining how we do business. They become managers when they should be leading. As a result, lower level personnel lose ownership of their programs and the organization loses productivity. Too many leaders - this is when lower level personnel dictate the direction of the organization. This can be caused by too little senior leader direction or lack of inputs in determining leaders' direction. As a result, the organization becomes disjointed and loses unified effort. To overcome these pitfalls we must understand our roles. We must know when to use management and when to use leadership. The general rule is leadership determines what we accomplish and management determines how we accomplish. Determining what should be accomplished is fun! We all do it to an extent for ourselves and within our families. We would love to do it in politics, sports and even within our organizations. The answer to the what question dictates direction and we all want a part in determining our organizations direction. The key here is to know your role in the organization. As lower level personnel, if you are focusing too much on what should be accomplished then you may be inadvertently misdirecting the organization. Leadership does not work on an island; inputs are critical. If you feel strongly about what should be accomplished then you have a duty to inform your leadership. This interaction is critical to keeping the entire organization on the same page and working in the same direction. All levels provide inputs, but ultimately the senior leadership determines what is accomplished. Figuring out how to accomplish a task is also fun! Working through a problem to finally determine a working solution is exciting. As leaders it is hard to stay out of the how business. We have experience, knowledge and skills that are the perfectly tuned for it. It's a slippery slope to micromanagement... As a senior leader you must constantly ask yourself if you're getting too far into the how. Empower your people by giving them the tough problems. Give them ownership. Ownership inspires pride and action. Ownership ensures accountability. Ownership drives an organization. Ultimately, we must know our roles. Determining what is accomplished and determining how it is accomplished are both empowering tasks. Although each is distinct, both are vital to the success of your organization.