Spectrum of leadership and management

"Sensing and adjusting" - this is a light touch. Too many people see management as another word for control. Too many managers believe that their role is to come up with all the answers, and they naturally fall into a 'parent'-like role, treating their staff (however nicely!) as grown-up children. The term 'leadership' is nowadays used to contrast with management although there is no clear consensus on the essential difference between leadership and management. The Human Energy Centre works with the belief that an effective organisation uses the energy of all it people and that this energy is available and used responsibly only if people are treated as adults. Regardless of management or leadership style, the role of people in leadership roles is to sense the situation and make adjustments in a relevant fashion in such a way as to support their people in being more effective in carrying out their roles as responsible adults.

Among the activities in which The Human Energy Centre typically finds itself involved within this focus area are:

• Trust and the art of professional management (while there are mechanistic processes and procedures relevant to organisational leadership, the key to good leadership is in relationships and operating in an environment of trust)
• Performance leadership (people have heard of performance management which typically bypasses top management and is 'done' to those lower down the organisation. Performance leadership is universal and driven by the individual with the support of a facilitating colleague who may or may not have a management title)
• Leading through uncertainty (life and work is, by nature, chaotic and uncertain. Building the confidence to "go with the flow" and work with uncertainty dramatically improves the effective use of one's energy)