There is an underlying theory that some people are natural leaders and therefore the best managers, whereas others are not and are destined to be not-so-great managers.
What is the reality? Lots of natural leaders are not such great managers. The best managers — natural or not — are those who learn proven techniques, practice them diligently until they become skills, and continue practicing them until they become habits.
Is there such a thing as natural leadership ability? Of course. Some people are visionary, charismatic, articulate, filled with ideas and unusually energetic. They are motivators. They inspire. People want to follow them. But that doesn't necessarily make them good managers.
More often, these great leaders succeed precisely because they are smart enough to hire great managers to assist them. Indeed, one of the most common stories I hear is how a natural leader will whirl into the workplace making random decisions and spreading ideas and thoughts that create hope and fear — and then just as quickly disappear, leaving the manager to clean up the mess.
I use the term management precisely to focus on the more mundane, but absolutely crucial, aspects of leadership: providing direction and guidance, holding people accountable, dealing with failure, and rewarding success. These are the basic elements of management that are way too often missing from leadership today. And these are the elements that are by far the most important when it comes to getting more and better work out of employees. I've learned from training tens of thousands of individuals that almost anyone can become a much better manager. How? Learn proven techniques and practice, practice, practice until they become skills and then habits.