Get Out of Management and Be a Leader with Rich Levene

Rich Levene is the author of You're Doing It Wrong, Stop Managing and Start Leading. He is an expert in leadership and helping convert managers to leaders. You can reach Levene on his website dignity-leadership.com.

Rich Levene Explains Dignity Leadership and What it Means to Be an 'Operation Guru'

Levene's background in operations and as a manager gave him the real life experience he needed to discover what being a true leader was all about. During his journey he began trying to figure out the best way to do things. He noticed most management styles left both parties feeling stressed and frustrated. 

While researching his Master's in Leadership, Levene stumbled across a piece written by Harvard PHD graduate Donna Hicks. She had a definition of dignity. The concept of giving people their dignity really stuck with Levene. According to Hicks, "dignity is the one thing that everybody in the world wants, regardless of who they are." Devene used this ideology and incorporated it into his management style. He discovered that giving people respect and dignity produced results that far exceeded authoritarian  management styles.

How Would You Define a Manager Versus a Leader?

"For the longest time, I thought manager and leader meant the same thing. They are terms which are used interchangeably in the business world," says Levene. 

Through his experiences, Levene began to realise that to get people to do something you can use one of two methods—manipulation or inspiration. "Management is manipulation, while leadership lends towards inspiring people to want to do things," answers Levene.

How Do Business Owners Transition from Being a Manager to Being a Leader?

To transition from being a manager to a leader, business owners need to—

• Be open and ready to learn. 
• Need to have self awareness.
• Do not let your ego control decisions.—"You are going to have to be humble and realize that there is more than one way to accomplish something," says Devene.
• Intrapersonal Skills— "If you are not willing to lead yourself, you really should not be leading other people," says Devene.

How Much Does Trust Play into Defining the Difference Between a Manager and Leader?

"Trust is the biggest piece of being a leader," says Devene. Devene has three key points to help build trust with the team. The three keys point are‐

• You have got to do what you say you are going to do and do things with empathy.

Listening and understanding what people are telling you creates a feedback loop. "The people on the front lines know way more than us as leaders. They are giving you valuable information. Listen to their ideas without getting defensive," says Levene. 

• Be authentic

Show up and be genuine. Levene recommends that leaders learn as much as possible about the art of leading. "Find the pieces that work for you and reinterpret those to your personality and put them into action."



• Understand the 'why' of what you are doing. This creates a belief which forms trust.

"If you don't have trust, you will not get feedback. Your people have to have trust that their feedback will be taken seriously.

What is the Key Question Business Owners Should Ask Themselves Regarding Leadership?

Business owners have to ask themselves why they are doing it. It needs to be a belief. It is not all about money- it's about passion. This is what is going to differentiate you from your competition. No one else is going to have the same conviction in the beliefs that you have."

What Skill Do Most Leaders Need to Improve?

Through Levene's personal experiences he learnt that leaders needed to improve their listening skills. "During my research, every single person came back and said, "I wish my boss would listen to me. None of them used the word leader," says Levene.

"Most people are not listening to try to solve a problem or to understand the issue. They start talking to fill in the dead space. To be a true leader you have to rewire your brain when it comes to listening. It is not an easy task," says Levene.

What are Some Words of Wisdom That You Would Pass on to a Business Leader?

Be authentic.— Authenticity can not be faked. "People show up as being something that they believe that another person wants them to be. It comes back to self awareness. You need to understand your behaviors, what actions you do that may or may not inspire somebody else. You need to understand your core beliefs and the motivations behind them. Finally you need to understand other people. Once you understand what motivates and inspires other people, then you can really lead them successfully. As a leader,we all make mistakes. Own that mistake. That is authenticity," advises Levene.

What was the one question I should have asked you that I didn't?

What motivates Rich Levene?—This goes back to my core beliefs which is simply to help people be successful.

Closing Summary 

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