Know the Difference Between Leading and Controlling People

Many reasons exist to why people should be led rather than controlled. However, many people misunderstand leadership and should consider looking at some differences between controlling people and leading people.

Here are some of the controlling characteristics:

• You block the ability for the person to growth. Inhibiting growth can bring many consequences, because that person may not want to work with you if they don't have an avenue for growth.
• People are just "employees" rather than actual team members. People love the idea of being on a team and being in unity with the same team mission. If all your workplace is, is an avenue for disunity, your team will fail. Teams fail when leadership fails. Remember that!
• People are taken for granted. Instead of taking your people for granted, consider them more essential to the team and reward them from time to time (for good work).
• People are kept distant from leaders. Insecure leaders commonly keep underlings at a distance, which can cause a lot of tension in the team. It not only causes disunity to consider people lower than you, but can also prove harmful to your strategy.
• Creativity is frowned upon. Never frown upon creativity, because it stifles one's ability to get work done in better, more efficient ways, and find ways to improve the product line somehow.

Here are some LEADING characteristics (what you should be doing!):

• Leadership development is very much done for the team, and helps people realize their abilities, such as creativity.
• Leaders draft good relationships with the other people in the workplace. Good relationships mean good unity pointed towards a mission.
• People have value on the team. Everyone has value. When everyone has value on your team, everyone feels that they belong.
• Mistakes are seen as part of the process to get from start to end. People that aim for success normally see the end from the beginning. Therefore, the process between the two points is very important and is a time for development. (This is especially true when God prophesies something in your life)
• People follow leaders willingly, because they feel valued/respected.
• People are developed more than products and services are.
• When leaders delegate authority from time to time, people will thrive better when they feel empowered. 

 Helping people with talents and interests increases better team morale. Leadership training, if you find that you're controlling people rather than leading them, will then be essential. It's essential to become better leaders by training. So are you really leading people, or just controlling them?