Is managing more important than leading in estate agency?

I regularly see people commenting across social media on the importance and benefits of being a good leader, with people quoting phrases from leadership training courses they may have attended. Whilst I agree that being a good leader is essential, I also believe that to be able to lead effectively, you need to understand the basics of good management.

I often wonder how many people from across our industry have actually received management training? Or how many have ever gained formal management qualifications?

Over recent years I have seen increasing numbers of agencies put team members though apprenticeships in management. However, and disappointingly, the funding is hard to obtain. Equally, the time commitment (which includes the requirement to brush up on maths and literacy skills), can often be too challenging for time-pressed managers.

Perhaps more appealing to those who have the budgets are those leadership courses aimed at senior level employees, which often involve office away days. The majority are designed to strengthen skills rather than teach new ones. However, we are seeing more opportunity to learn via online courses which offer far more flexibility, and a much better chance of meeting specific training needs efficiently and economically.

So, to understand why being a good manager is more important than leading, we need to first appreciate the difference between leadership and management.

Leadership puts a lens on people and considers how they are led. This includes addressing areas such as motivation and delegation. It considers how teams can be engaged and inspired.

Management focuses on the completion of tasks and activities and the outputs that each produce.

Managers play a central role in any organisation. They connect people to the purpose of their work and help them understand why the tasks that they do are important. Managers set actions and track performance, and they recognise the contribution of each individual in achieving the organisation’s goals. They also play a leading role in helping their team to identify the areas they need to develop.

Managers are also responsible for effective communication, using resources wisely, and keeping up with the demands and changes being driven by the business world. Being a manager also means being a leader, problem solver, and a key contributor to an organisation’s success.

Being promoted to manager is a huge achievement and one to be proud of, and this is where the hard work begins. As an industry teetering towards regulation, having a management workforce that is both effective and expert has become increasingly important.

Given the breadth and importance of today’s management tasks, I’d argue that being a strong, reliable and respected manager is vital in today’s agency – to ensure the effective running of that business.

Charlotte Jeffrey-Campbell is founder and director of The Able Agent, which will be hosting a webinar, ‘Introduction to The Able Agent Management Training’,  on 5 September at 9.30am. To find out more, click here.