Well, in an ideal situation managers are the leaders. But sometimes these two may be a lot different from each other when working at the workplace.
Here are 5 differences between leadership and management:
Managers Manage the Tasks at Hand. Leaders Lead towards the Future:
“Leaders don’t create followers, they create more leaders,” said Tom Peters, an American writer on business management practices, best known for In Search of Excellence (co-authored with Robert H. Waterman Jr).
This is the most crucial difference between leadership and management. A manager’s ma focus stays on getting the job done that is in hand. It is important because it needs to be done. But if we talk about leaders, they have a big picture to focus on. They will ask you questions such as: How will this task help you to achieve the company’s goal? How completing this task can fit into the company’s overall plan? How this can help the employees in improving their performance for their future career goals?
Managers supervise people or tasks. Leaders can be individual contributors:
There are two types of managers, People manager, and Project manager, and both are assigned with a different set of responsibilities. But for leaders, sometimes they do not have any assigned title for their role but people still take them as an example for their direction and guidance to be an individual contributor. They will show leadership qualities through their work and people will follow them for their personal development.
Leaders guide people towards success. Managers tell people what to do:
If the manager is only ordering and demanding how they want the work to be done, they can never be a leader. A good leader will make sure that they can assist their people wherever they face any issues or problems. They will inspire and support their people to get succeed in their goals.
Leaders are willing to give up control. Managers set the direction for everything:
The main role of the manager is to provide a set of directions to their people and they might keep their tasks and projects in their close hands. But a leader knows what their employee’s strengths and weaknesses are and they can use those strengths for delegating new responsibilities or a new task.
Leaders care about the people. Managers care about the numbers:
If you are running a business then numbers are important. But if the manager is only barking at their slow employees to increase their work pace by helping them, they will never win their people’s hearts.
A leader is always ready to support their people and provide them better guidance to overcome their problems. They will encourage their people to work as a team to get more effective and faster work results.
Nathan Garries CFP, EPC, CIWM, FCSI has spent decades harnessing the knowledge earned from real-world experience and continued education in order to help clients make better financial decisions. Nathan Garries Edmonton’s experience in wealth, retirement, and investment management led to earning a number of designations before he became a Fellow of the Canadian Securities Institute – the highest distinction reserved for dedicated financial professionals who demonstrate leadership, integrity, and commitment to their clients and to the industry.