Show In today’s day and age, many people use the words leader and manager or boss, interchangeably and think they are the same thing. However, numerous leading business coaches, psychologists and entrepreneurs will tell you the characteristics that constitute a great leader and a great manager are not always the same. The manager’s job is to plan, organize and coordinate. The leader’s job is to inspire and motivate. In his 1989 book “On Becoming a Leader,” Warren Bennis composed a list of the differences: – The manager administers; the leader innovates. – The manager is a copy; the leader is an original. – The manager maintains; the leader develops. – The manager focuses on systems and structure; the leader focuses on people. – The manager relies on control; the leader inspires trust. – The manager has a short-range view; the leader has a long-range perspective. – The manager asks how and when; the leader asks what and why. – The manager has his or her eye always on the bottom line; the leader’s eye is on the horizon. – The manager imitates; the leader originates. – The manager accepts the status quo; the leader challenges it. – The manager is the classic good soldier; the leader is his or her own person. – The manager does things right; the leader does the right thing. What Is a Manager? A manager carries out the four functions of management: planning, organizing, leading and controlling. You may notice that one of the functions is leadership, so you’re probably wondering if that implies all managers are leaders. Theoretically, yes – all managers would be leaders if they were able to communicate, motivate, inspire and encourage employees towards a higher level of productivity. An employee will follow the directions of a manager because they’re required to, but an employee will voluntarily follow the directions of a leader because they believe in who the leader is as a person and what they stand for. Whereas, employees will follow the manager because of his or her job description and title. What Is a Leader? The greatest difference between management and leadership is that leaders do not have to hold a management title. Anyone can become a leader as the requirements for great leadership are based on the personal qualities of the leader. The leader will also try to help the employee reach their personal goals, even if those goals are different from the organizational goals. A leader has no “power” over their followers ie. managers have subordinates, while leaders have followers. Employees have to follow their managers orders, but following is (and always will be) a voluntary choice for those who follow a leader. Leaders challenge the status quo that managers spend much of their time upholding, with the intention of bringing innovation to their organization. Leadership is visionary, adapts well to change, creative and agile. Managers are concerned with the bottom line, while leaders spend time looking at the horizon. Counting value vs Creating value Only managers count value; some even reduce value by crippling or slowing down those who add value. If a diamond cutter is repeatedly being distracted by being asked to report how many stones he has cut every 15 minutes, his boss is subtracting value. By contrast, leaders focus on creating value, saying: “I’d like you to handle A while I deal with B.” Leaders produce value over and above the value that the the team has already created. Action-based-leadership is demonstrated through leading people by example and enabling them in their role. Circles of influence vs Circles of power. When it comes to influence vs. power, managers create circles of power while leaders create circles of influence. Bennis states, “the quickest way to figure out which of the two you’re doing is to count the number of people outside your reporting hierarchy who come to you for advice. The more that do, the more likely it is that you are perceived to be a leader.” Leading people vs Managing work Management is when someone controls a group or a set of entities to accomplish a goal. Leadership is when someone can influence, motivate, and enable others to contribute toward organizational success. In an organizational setup, a manager is an important link between the firm and its stakeholders, i.e. employees, customers, suppliers, shareholders, government, society, and so forth. He is the one who performs basic managerial functions. Conversely, a leader is the one who inspires, encourages, and influences his men, to work willingly, in the attainment of the organization’s objectives. The two are not one and the same thing, however, one can only become a successful manager, when he/she is an effective leader. In this context, what you need to know is that Leadership is a skill, and the person who possesses this ability is known as a Leader. On the other hand, Management is a discipline, and the practitioner of this discipline is known as the Manager. This write-up contains the differences between leader and manager. Content: Leader Vs ManagerComparison ChartBasic Differences
Additional Differences
Definition of LeaderA leader refers to a person who leads others in a specific situation and is capable of heading the group towards the accomplishment of the ultimate goal by making strategies to pursue and reach the same. A leader has a vision, who inspires people, in such a way that it becomes their vision. Further, the leader can be any person having the potential to influence others, be it a manager of an organization, or head of the family, or a captain of a team, minister of a state, or leader in an informal group. He/She is the one who:
Now, you must be wondering, Why people follow a leader? Well, it is because the behavior of people is influenced by the leader. And that is why a leader can exercise power over them. Also Read: Difference Between Boss and Leader What is Leadership?Leadership refers to a social influence relationship amidst a group that depends on one another for the accomplishment of the goal. The relationship basically moves around the acceptance or rejection of the leader by its followers. Qualities of a LeaderA leader has many qualities, some of them are listed hereunder:
Types of LeaderThere are mainly four types of leader:
Also Read: Difference Between Transactional and Transformational Leadership Definition of ManagerManagers are those individuals who are employed by the organization so as to direct and monitor the work of other employees working in the organization. They are the ones who get their work done by the employees and have the authority to hire or fire the employees. He/She ensures that the tasks are completed within the stipulated time frame while complying with all the rules and policies of the organization and using the allocated resources. Also Read: Difference Between Entrepreneur and Manager Classification of Managers
Functions of Managers
Skills and Competencies of ManagersAs per Robert L. Katz and others, managers must possess four skills, which are:
Also Read: Difference Between Supervisor and Manager
Here we have divided the differences between leader and manager into two categories, i.e. main differences and additional differences. Come let us discuss them: Main Differences:
Additional Differences
Video: Leader Vs ManagerExampleDigiLap Computers is a firm that deals in Laptops, Tablets, and Personal Computers. The business was commenced by Mr. Rao in the year 1995. It has multiple branches in the city, employing more than 100 workers. Each branch has a team of 20 workers, lead by a supervisor who supervises them in their work. Further, Mr. Arun instructs the supervisors of all the stores and also looks after the day-to-day chores of the workers. Now, who is the Manager and Leader in this case? Well, all supervisors working in the company are the leaders, while Mr. Arun is the Manager. Role of ManagerAccording to Mintzberg, the Manager performs ten roles that are different yet interrelated.
Also Read: Difference Between Manager and Director ConclusionIt has been said that ‘A manager is always a leader, but vice versa is not true’ Do you know why? Well, a manager also plays the role of a leader in an organization by influencing and motivating those working under him, but a leader may not be a manager, because, there are people who lead informal groups, like in our friend circle, dance group, etc. Hence, we can use the word ‘leader’ to address a person leading an informal group, as there is no manager in such groups. |