What are the key differentiators that separate a Leader from a Manager?
Many people use the words ‘leader’ and ‘manager’ interchangeably.
So, for some people it seems there is no difference.
Business gurus and coaches argue there is a difference, as examples:
- Leaders are about ‘effectiveness’; Managers are about ‘efficiency’
- Leaders champion ‘doing the right things’; Managers champion ‘doing things right’
We called our company “Spirited Leaders”. We intentionally avoided the use of the word 'Manager'. For us, there is a distinction between leaders and managers. Leadership is an elite function. Management is not.
Here are some viewpoints we read on LinkedIn some time ago:
"Leading is - inspiring a group to come together for a common goal. Leaders motivate and work with people to keep them bonded and eager to move forward. This means setting a direction, communicating it and keeping followers psyched when times get tough. Managing is - is establishing systems, creating rules, operating procedures, and putting into place incentive programs and the like. Management is essentially overseeing that things are executed in a smooth and correct manner."
"Remember the children's game, "Follow the leader?" You have to do everything that the designated leader does and if you mess up you're out. I sort of equate that with leadership, you have visions, goals, set a precedence, as a CEO or president of a company, who knows where he wants to take his company, how to grow it, what markets to enter, what type of company culture he wishes to establish and then implements it with managers and employees who are of like mind. Managing a team has more to do with delegating responsibilities to ensure that what ever needs to get done or accomplished gets done in the best possible way by the team. The manager is responsible for timelines, deadlines, work flow processes, takes care of crises, or problems as they crop up, handles disputes, and makes sure everything is running smoothly to reach whatever goal is in place at the moment."
"Leading is showing the path that should be followed. Managing is making sure the path is followed. A leader clearly defines a vision for a team, group or organization. The manager is the person that establishes or enforces rules to make the vision happen. Leadership is generally strategic, whereas management is generally tactical. Leadership says we need to increase revenue. Management says here are some things we can do in order to do that."
"Leading a team is about serving people and taking them to a new level, one in which behaviours, sense of ownership, collaboration, recognition, sense of accomplishment are the measures of success; managing a team, like many others have already said, is about delivering results by building the team using resources and procedures made available to you. Leadership is a personal call, not a requirement: it's about inspiring people by example and dedication, and getting them to believe in you as a person more than their boss."
The Spirited viewpoint...
People choose to follow leaders because leaders are building things of value to others. Management is a role done by people in jobs. Leadership is not a job. Leadership is what people see in us when we are driven to build and create stuff of value to others.
People are attracted to the energy that drives leaders to build new and improved things, new and improved systems, etc. Managers know about controls and process. Good managers use coaching to help individuals perform well. Good managers help people be self-disciplined. Management is a science, augmented by some art.
Leaders possess high self-knowledge and they self-adjust to magnetize people. Leaders inspire people to be self-motivated and creative. Leadership is an art, supported by some science.
PS: Managers monitor & count things like balls, strikes, singles, & home runs and coach people how to pitch, hit, and run better. Leaders serve people & design better places and ways to play baseball and attract winning players and loyal fans.