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Doug Driscoll, To Manage or to Lead?


According to Doug Driscoll the Chief Executive Officer of the Starr Partners group, management and leadership are two very different things. Doug believes that, “Leadership creates useful change, whereas management produces orderly results that keep something working efficiently. Managers are people who do things right, whereas leaders are people who do the right thing.”

Doug explains, “If you look at the origin of the two words, the word management comes from an old Latin word, manus, which is hands on, whereas the origin of the word leadership, has ancient Anglo Saxon roots, and it essentially means path, route or journey. Leadership really is therefore about direction, movement, progress and change and vision whereas management is about the day to day operations, budgeting, the application of rules and procedures and so on.”

People want to be engaged

So, does Doug think that it is possible to be the leader/manager at the same time? He says, “The two can work in tandem, but you have to understand the difference in the two.”

Managers need high degrees of emotional intelligence and patience.

Real estate is a tough gig. To be successful requires excellence in skill sets that can be diametrically apart – the driven sales guru is not necessarily the most attentive interpersonal sage. Doug says, the prospect of high returns sometimes obscures the reality of being in a business that is all about people and emotions. He says, “Too many people get into business too quickly for the wrong reasons. They think that there is a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. There can be, but you have to work hard, be determined, graft, and know how to get the best out of people. And that is what management is, extrapolating the very best of the people around you.”

Managers need high degrees of emotional intelligence and patience. Doug says, “There’s an old saying “If you want the rainbow you’ve got to put up with the rain.” When you’re in business you are always employing people, so you have to develop, whether you like it or not, good humanistic skills. You have to put aside time and you have to exercise tolerance and patience with people. And that’s what you signed up for.”

Doug has observed that top sales agents can find the transition to manager a challenge. He says, “It’s very, very difficult to make a holistic change from who you are. It’s almost become integrated into who you are; it’s almost your DNA. So, going from a successful gun salesperson to a super-duper manager or leader can be very difficult.”

Managers are people who do things right, wheras leaders are people who do the right thing.

Doug has identified the features of a good leader and a good manager. Doug Driscoll is appearing on Real Estate Academy's 12 disc Leadership Audio News. Order today call 1300 367 412.

Doug believes that good businesses are founded on sound managers. He says, “Management is about really being there on the tools, you know, doing what really counts, what matters.”  

A good manager needs...

  • To be methodical and manage the processes, control the numbers, the work schedules, the KPIs, the practices, policies, procedures of a business and make sure that everything is followed to a T. Doug says, “Everything has its place within a business and it’s the manager’s role and responsibility to make sure that those things are done and indeed done properly.”
  • To understand people. Doug believes that this is critical. A good manager’sjob is to get the most of their staff. He says, “People want to be engaged. I think we make the natural assumption that it’s all about the dollars and cents. Clearly, that’s a contributing factor – we don’t come to work for love – but the stimulation and the engagement I think is everything. I think sometimes we overlook the fact that every single thing we do, everything we say, people are picking up on, they’re absorbing and hopefully they’re learning from.”

A good leader needs...

  • Intelligence, a sound professional knowledge and competence in the field.
  • To be a charismatic individual and an outstanding public speaker.
  • An ability to inspire.
  • An ability to communicate and that means the ability to listen and engage in a meaningful dialogue. Doug says,“ It’s one of the things that I desperately try to practice myself – the art of dialogue, not monologue. I think within our industry we’re all too guilty sometimes of talking too much and not listening enough. Listening is a key component.”
  • An ability to delegate. Delegating work – works. Again, Doug says this is something that many leaders struggle with – particularly if you are a brilliant salesperson.
  • An acute understanding of self – an inner understanding of what your own strengths and weaknesses are. Very early on in his career, Doug had to come to terms with how other people perceived him and he found it very confronting but useful. He says, “It really opened my eyes from a very young age as to how perception and reality are two very different things. It was a very sobering experience.” to be fair and equitable. Doug says, “You have to be impartial, you have to be honest, you have to be open with your staff. That way you’ll get respect in bucket loads.”


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