Many wonder about the differences between leadership and management. Are they mutually exclusive? Do professionals have both qualities—or do they learn one or the other over a long period of time? These questions are just the tip of the iceberg. In this article, we will take a look at both.
The words “leader” and “manager” are among the most commonly used words in business and are often used interchangeably. But have you ever wondered what the terms actually mean?
A manager is the member of an organization with the responsibility of carrying out the four important functions of management: planning, organizing, leading, and controlling. But are all managers leaders?
Most managers also tend to be leaders, but only IF they also adequately carry out the leadership responsibilities of management, which include communication, motivation, providing inspiration and guidance, and encouraging employees to rise to a higher level of productivity.
Unfortunately, not all managers are leaders. Some managers have poor leadership qualities, and employees follow orders from their managers because they are obligated to do so—not necessarily because they are influenced or inspired by the leader.
Managerial duties are usually a formal part of a job description; subordinates follow as a result of the professional title or designation. A manager’s chief focus is to meet organizational goals and objectives; they typically do not take much else into consideration. Managers are held responsible for their actions, as well as for the actions of their subordinates. With the title comes the authority and the privilege to promote, hire, fire, discipline, or reward employees based on their performance and behavior.
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The primary difference between management and leadership is that leaders don’t necessarily hold or occupy a management position. Simply put, a leader doesn’t have to be an authority figure in the organization; a leader can be anyone.
Unlike managers, leaders are followed because of their personality, behavior, and beliefs. A leader personally invests in tasks and projects and demonstrates a high level of passion for work. Leaders take a great deal of interest in the success of their followers, enabling them to reach their goals to satisfaction—these are not necessarily organizational goals.
There isn’t always tangible or formal power that a leader possesses over his followers. Temporary power is awarded to a leader and can be conditional based on the ability of the leader to continually inspire and motivate their followers.
Subordinates of a manager are required to obey orders while following is optional when it comes to leadership. Leadership works on inspiration and trust among employees; those who do wish to follow their leader may stop at any time. Generally, leaders are people who challenge the status quo. Leadership is change-savvy, visionary, agile, creative, and adaptive.
Below are four important traits of a manager:
Managers build a strategic vision and break it down into a roadmap for their team to follow.
Managers are responsible for day-to-day efforts while reviewing necessary resources, and anticipating needs to make changes along the way.
Managers have the authority to establish work rules, processes, standards, and operating procedures.
Managers are known to look after and cater to the needs of the people they are responsible for: listening to them, involving them in certain key decisions, and accommodating reasonable requests for change to contribute to increased productivity.
Below are five important traits of a leader:
Being a manager and a leader at the same time is a viable concept. But remember, just because someone is a phenomenal leader, it does not necessarily guarantee that the person will be an exceptional manager as well, and vice versa. So, what are the standout differences between the two roles?
In the article Three Differences Between Managers And Leaders, Vineet Nayar discusses three tests he devised to help managers decide if they have successfully made the shift from managing people to leading them.
Managers are the only ones who count value, he says. There are some who cut down on the value by disabling or otherwise countering ideas and people who add value.
Leaders, however, focus instead on working to generate a certain value that is over and above that which the team creates—and is as much a creator of value as their followers. Nayar goes on to say that, “Leading by example and leading by enabling people are the hallmarks of action-based leadership.”
Managers and leaders are both important—and when you find both qualities in the same person, it’s like hitting a professional jackpot. Read the second part of this article to learn the Qualities of Great Leaders and Great Managers.
You can learn both management and leadership techniques when you take Simplilearn’s Project Management Certification Training.
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PMP® Certification | 20 Dec -24 Jan 2020, Weekdays batch | Your City | View Details |
PMP® Certification | 3 Jan -31 Jan 2020, Weekdays batch | New York City | View Details |
PMP® Certification | 11 Jan -8 Feb 2020, Weekend batch | Boston | View Details |
Nikita Duggal is a passionate digital nomad who's working with Simplilearn as a Content Writer. She's a major in English language and literature, a word connoisseur who loves writing about raging technologies, digital marketing, and career conundrums.
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