I found myself last night speaking in circles with a highly successful networker. He and his wife and some of his downline stopped to say, “thanks” and talk for a minute. It turned out that he really stopped to tell me why he wasn’t going to take my course right now. He didn’t have time. Hmmmm…

We went around and around for a while and it became clear that he just didn’t see how he could walk away from helping his downline as much as he was. He told me that when he stopped calling them “all the time” the productivity did drop so he knew he was in the right place right now doing the right thing.

No matter what I said I was unable to influence him to rethink his paradigm and see himself in a different light.

In reading Covey’s books this morning I realized what I missed. 

The difference between management and leadership. This man was a wonderful manager. He was on top of getting things done. He was right there to do three way calls, he kept the motivation coming – he was doing things right. What was the problem?

I’m not sure he was doing the right things. Covey cites Peter Drucker and Warren Bennis, “Management is doing things right; leadership is doing the right things.”

This man had quickly and efficiently climbed up the success ladder in his business, but I wonder if he was climbing the right ladder. Now he has a business of people who think they need him to get things done (or he thinks he has a business of people who need him to get things done!). 

Ladies and gentlemen leadership is first: “Is it the right thing to do?” And *then* management: “Am I doing it right?”

Are you a good leader in your business or a good manager in your business or both? And forgive the obvious segue here, but it’s your choice and you can make those choices any time you’re ready.

If you haven’t already, take a moment to enjoy the motivational movie we’ve created at http://www.TheChoiceMovie.com. If you think it makes sense, please share it with everybody….