Many people use 鈥渓eader鈥� and 鈥渕anager鈥� interchangeably; however, these words mean two very different things. Read on as we talk about the difference between a leader and a manager, and the benefits of thinking like a true leader.
Managers are there to tell people what to do 鈥� they assign and delegate tasks, and tell people how to complete them. Managers maintain structure in their organization by the book and aren鈥檛 as focused on creativity, collaboration, or innovation that pushes their team to grow.
A manager鈥檚 main goal is to meet organizational objectives. Because of this, they focus on planning, organizing, and controlling things and people. They place a high value on cognitive intelligence and tend to focus more on the quantitative side of work 鈥� they are task-oriented and efficiency is important to them. As long as the systems and processes they have in place are working, managers tend to stick to the status quo.
When it comes to leadership style, many managers take a more autocratic, authoritarian approach. While this may work in some career fields, such as healthcare, law enforcement, and the military, this style isn鈥檛 extremely effective in many other workplaces.
People who are in management positions started in a junior position and worked their way up. Because they鈥檙e typically experts at the roles they鈥檙e managing, it can become easy to micromanage instead of lead. Next, we鈥檒l dive into what a leader is so you can see what we mean.
Leaders take a more abstract, qualitative approach when it comes to how they relate to their team. As , 鈥淟eadership is about making others feel safe.鈥�
Leaders prioritize and are responsible for the people on their team and their growth. They seek to have a healthy, open dialogue with their team and aren鈥檛 afraid to ask for feedback 鈥� or give it in a helpful way.
Having high is important to leaders. Their focus on this skill helps them create a collaborative environment, lead with empathy, and encourage their team. This approach builds trust and strong relationships with their reports and, in turn, can enforce a positive company culture. Leaders view themselves as part of the team, rather than above and separate from it.
Good leaders have some sort of management and organizational skills to help their team be effective, however, they have a teamwork-oriented approach. Instead of telling people exactly how they want a task completed, leaders are open to ideas and suggestions from their team.
Leaders aren鈥檛 afraid to take risks, question the status quo, and challenge their team 鈥� they鈥檙e always looking for ways to make things better. With an approach focused on inspiring, motivating, and mentoring, it鈥檚 no surprise that people gravitate toward good leaders. Especially in today鈥檚 world, where people are prioritizing flexibility, collaboration, and growth opportunities in their job search.
As you can see there are a lot of benefits to thinking like a leader.
The characteristics of leaders and managers can overlap; however, the main lies in the way they direct their teams. Both people often have the same desire: they want to effectively use their resources, achieve a goal, and motivate their team.
Here are some key differences between leadership and management:
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Leaders: |
Managers: |
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Empowers their team |
Keeps the power |
|
Coaches and guides |
Delegates and dictates |
|
Says 鈥渨e鈥� |
Says 鈥淚鈥� |
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Has a growth- and future-focused mindset |
Is focused on hitting short-term goals and checking boxes |
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Asks |
Commands |
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Cares about results |
Cares about process and efficiency |
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Takes responsibility when their team members fall short |
Places blame when things go badly |
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Gives away credit when things go well |
Takes credit for their team鈥檚 wins |
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Has a vision and direction |
Has a plan and purpose |
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Shows you 鈥渉ow鈥� |
Tells you 鈥渨hat鈥� |
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Focuses on people |
Focuses on work |
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Innovates |
Sticks to what works |
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Takes risks |
Avoids risk |
Leadership skills are like a muscle 鈥� the more you work on them, the stronger they get. Becoming a good leader takes patience and dedication to improve your skills. The earlier you start working on your leadership skills, the better.
Honing your leadership skills by joining a leadership development program is a great place to start. As the only accredited leadership honor society in the nation, the National Society of Leadership and Success (91桃色) develops and builds strong leaders that make a better tomorrow.
91桃色 members benefit from a wide range of exclusive leadership development opportunities and resources, all of which are designed to strengthen their leadership skills both now and throughout their careers.
Learn about the 91桃色 member benefits to see if the program is a good fit for you.