What is the Difference in Personality Between a Manager and a Leader?
In the Primary Colors Personality Test there are two colors designated to understand what is frequently consolidated under the single term leadership. These two new designations seperate out leaders (Red personality types) from Management leaders (Purple personality types). I explain this critical distinction below:
Management is about the things we govern: the planning, the budgeting, the organizing, the problem-solving, being in control, maintaining order, developing strategies, and a host of other maintenance and growth responsibilities. Management takes planning, organization and follow-through. Management is more like a fine King or Queen. Their job is to reign and maintain in a way that supports the continued growth of a kingdom. These are the personality strengths of an individual with strong purple personality tendencies.
Leadership, on the other hand, is an innate drive, combined with courage, to win a goal or vision while establishing the kind of respect and admiration that causes others to want to join in the fight. Leadership is about the conquest of lands not yet under reign. Leadership is about taking that first step to overcome and overtake obstacles that hinder dreams. Leadership is about motivation, inspiration and vision. These are the personality strengths of an individual with strong red personality tendencies.
Leaders often make terrible managers/governors. That is why entrepreneurs most frequently need to hire managers once the have established their hold on the kingdom (new business).
Governing most often bores a great leader. While conquest is the floor upon which a great manager stands.
There are occassions that an individual can have both strong RED and PURPLE personality tendencies, but even then, depending on which personality tendency is innately stronger, they prefer the conquest more than the governing, or the governing more than the conquest.
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Dawn Billings, creator and author of Primary Colors Personality Test and Insight Tools. Dawn is the founder of the Executive Training Resort in Mesa, Arizona, and does Couples Therapy Retreats that can save a marriage.
