A few years ago, leaders, entrepreneurs, and innovators created companies, whereas managers were hired to run their operations. But, nowadays, you will notice that our educational system is mostly geared towards business management education. Also, there is a perceptual change that treats both management and leadership as the same, which is not a mere reality. So is there a difference between leadership vs managements.
The terms “leadership” and “management” are often used interchangeably. While there is some overlap between the work that leaders and managers do, there are also significant differences.
What is leadership?
So when one think as to what is leadership, it is actually creation of positive, non-incremental change through meticulous planning, vision, and strategy. Workforce empowerment and adaptive decision-making also add up to the crucial attributes of leadership.
Leadership is more like a process of social influence, which maximizes the efforts of others toward the achievement of a common goal. A leader is someone who always takes the initiative and invests a great effort to accomplish the company’s vision.
What is management?
Management is all about performing pre-planned tasks on a regular basis with the help of subordinates. A manager is completely responsible for carrying out the four important functions of management: planning, organizing, leading, and controlling. Managers can only become leaders if they adequately carry out leadership responsibilities, including communication of good and bad, providing inspiration and guidance, and encouraging employees to rise to a higher level of productivity.
Difference between leadership vs. management
There is difference between leadership vs management roles. Leadership is the ability of an individual to influence, motivate, and enable others to contribute to the organization’s success. A leader communicates in order to set direction, inspire, and motivate their team.
Management is responsible for controlling an organization, a group, or a set of entities to achieve a particular objective. Managing is about making sure the day-to-day operations are being performed as expected.
Leadership requires a vision to guide change. Whereas managers focus on achieving organizational goals through process implementation, such as budgeting, organizational structure, and staffing, leaders are more concerned with thinking ahead and seizing opportunities.
It is possible to be a manager and a leader at the same time.
Factors distinguishing leadership vs management
Listed here are few factors that distinguish leadership vs management
Differences in vision
Leaders are considered as visionaries. They set the pathways to excel the organizational growth. They always examine where their organization stands, where they want to go, and how they can reach there by involving the team.
In comparison, managers set out to achieve organizational goals by implementing processes, such as budgeting, organizational structuring, and staffing.
Both of these roles are equally important in the context of business environments and necessitate associative efforts.
Organizing vs aligning
Managers achieve their goals by using coordinated activities and tactical processes. On the other hand, leaders are more concerned with how to align and influence people than how to assign work to them.
Differences in asks
A leader asks what and why, whereas a manager focuses on the questions of how and when.
Position vs. Quality
A manager is a role that frequently refers to a specific job within an organization’s structure, whereas the term leader has a more ambiguous definition. Leadership emerges as a result of your actions. You are a leader if you act in a way that inspires others to do their best.
Similarities between leadership and management?
?
There are many ways in which management and leadership are comparable. Both require establishing objectives, coming up with strategies to get there, and tracking the development. Both demand collaboration with others, effective communication, decision-making, problem-solving, strategic thinking, and accountability in order to succeed. Managers and leaders are responsible for gathering data, weighing options, and making decisions that will benefit their team or company. Additionally, they must accept accountability for their deeds and be open and honest about them. In general, effective leadership and management require a combination of these skills because they share many essential qualities.
Traits of manager
Lets look at the important traits of a manager:
- Execution of Vision
Managers build a strategic vision and break it down into a roadmap for their team to follow.
- Day-to-day work
Managers are responsible for day-to-day efforts while reviewing necessary resources, and anticipating the need to make changes along the way.
- Manage operations
Managers have the authority to establish work rules, processes, standards, and operating procedures.
- People Focused
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.
Traits of leader
Let’s look at the important traits of a leader:
- Visionary
A leader knows where they stand, where they want to go and tend to involve the team in charting a future path and direction.
- Followers
Leaders have people who believe them and walk by their side down the path the leader sets.
- Inspiration
Leaders are usually inspirational. They help team understand their own roles in a bigger context.
- Communication
Leaders always keep their team informed about what’s happening, both present and the future—along with any obstacles that stand in their way.
Differences between a manager and 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 leadership and management?
Innovation vs Organization
The leader of the team comes up with new ideas and kickstarts the organization’s shift or transition to a forward-thinking phase. A leader always has his or her eyes set on the horizon, developing new techniques and strategies for the organization. A leader has immense knowledge of all the current trends, advancements, and skillsets. By contrast, a manager is someone who generally only maintains what is already established. A manager needs to watch the bottom line while controlling employees and workflow in the organization and preventing any chaos.
Trust vs Control
A leader is a person who pushes employees to do their best and knows how to set an appropriate pace and tempo for the rest of the group. Managers, on the other hand, are required by their job description to establish control over employees.
