Being a good manager does not necessarily mean that you are a successful leader. However, we often see people using the terms “leader” and “manager” in the same sentence, which may cause some confusion. What is the difference between management and leadership, and is one better than the other? Knowing the differences between leadership and management will help you understand your role in the organization in which you work.
By knowing the difference between these two terms, you will be able to develop your abilities and reach your full potential. Not only that, but understanding what distinguishes a leader from a manager will allow you to balance your leadership and management skills. In our article today, Forsa will show you the difference between management and leadership and help you discover the best way to balance these two positions. Today we will answer the following questions:
- What is the definition of leadership and management?
- What are the differences between leadership and management?
- Which is better? Leadership or management?
- How do you balance leadership and management?
- When do you use both leadership and management skills?
What is the definition of leadership and management?
Although the two terms are used overlappingly, they are fundamentally different from each other. Leadership skills come from leaders’ ability to gain approval from others. They use their influence to challenge different rules and drive innovation. They are, as management consultant Peter Drucker put it, “changing the rules to effect change.”
As for management, it is the process of coordinating and organizing the activities and tasks of a company or organization in order to achieve certain goals. Accordingly, the primary task of managers is to ensure that employees adhere to the company’s rules and policies. They work to achieve the goals set by their leaders through specific tasks such as planning, budgeting, coordination, and problem-solving skills. Although they are often highly qualified and responsible, their role in the organization or company is limited to implementing instructions.
What is the difference between leadership and management?
Both leadership and management have different characteristics and different areas of focus. Here are the most important aspects of these differences:
1- Focus on goals and vision / focus on tasks
- Leaders tend to focus on the goals and visions of their organization. They look at the big picture and try to find new ways to make their vision a reality. They are always striving to try new things, but with an eye on the core mission of the organization.
- As for managers, despite their interest in the vision of the organization, their focus is usually on adhering to the company’s policies and rules. They are responsible for implementing their leaders’ big ideas.
2- Persuasion/ coercion
- Since leaders are responsible for creativity and innovation, in this case they have to convince the people around them that their ideas are worth supporting, and ultimately they derive their authority by encouraging others to think like them and follow their method.
- On the other hand, managers are not forced to convince others of their ideas because their role is to enforce the rules and ensure adherence to them. And in the event that one of them rebels against these laws, then measures are taken against him. Employees do what their managers tell them to do, even if they are not convinced.
3- Going for adventure/reducing risks
- Every time you try something new, you are on an adventure. And since leaders are always striving to bring about change, they are therefore trying a lot of new things, and therefore they are taking adventures on an almost daily basis.
- As for the managers, they always try to reduce the risks; they make sure that the workers carry out their tasks as required; and in the event of any problems, the managers may resort to the company’s leaders in order to find an appropriate solution.
4- Encouragement/guidance
- Here, the responsibilities of the leader and the manager may overlap depending on how the manager performs his or her duties. In general, the leader gives his employees constant encouragement and encourages them to think outside the box.
- As for the manager, he has a clear picture of the different fields of work… The manager may offer some encouragement to the employees, but his main task remains directing them on how to perform their various tasks. In other words, a manager is the person you turn to to find out the best way to do your job.
5- Challenge / go with the flow
- Leaders need to be challenged, or their organization is at risk of stagnation, which is why they try new things to see if they can make their companies more effective. They work to achieve compatibility between the company’s policies and its vision.
- On the other hand, managers seek to maintain the status quo and go with the flow. They do their best to enforce the general directives set by their leaders.
6- Motivation / giving consent
- When trying new things, the chances of failure increase, so leaders need to be enthusiastic and motivated enough. They also have to keep their employees motivated by tying everything to the company’s vision. When the company’s vision is strong, the leader can use it as a source of motivation and inspiration for employees.
- It’s different for a manager, whose main goal is to make the right decision about whether or not to do something. Managers consider the practices of their assistants and the rest of the employees and express their approval or disapproval of these practices by referring to the basic instructions set by the company’s leaders.
7- Breaking the rules/ adhering to the rules
- Leaders need to break the general rules of the company in order to progress because the laws are rigid and do not allow innovation, which leads them not to adhere to them. And in cases where the company or organization is affected, leaders may resort to ignoring the rules of the organization altogether.
- On the other hand, the only way a manager can maintain his position is by adhering to the rules and strategies set by the leaders. Violation of these laws may damage the director’s position and weaken the company.
8- Encourage trust/impose control.
- When someone leads you down a new, unpaved road, there is no doubt that you need a certain level of mutual trust between you and them. This is exactly what a successful leader must do, as he must convince his employees to trust him and walk with him to places and ranks they have never reached before.
- As for the manager, the source of his strength is his ability to control the employees. Here, we mean control in its positive sense, i.e., maintaining order in the company. You don’t have to trust your boss to do what he asks of you. Managers expect you to be under their control so that they can do their job properly.
9- Brainstorm/assign tasks
- Leaders thrive and grow by making improvements and trying new things. Therefore, we find them adopting new ideas and respecting freedom of thought because it supports their goals. They know fully that if they encourage more people to think outside the box, the collective thinking power will rise and lead to more development and creativity.
- Conversely, managers cannot encourage free thinking because, in this case, they will not be able to fulfill the company’s expectations. Assigning tasks to employees and telling them what to do is the only way to guarantee their success and achieve the goals of the organization.
Is leadership then superior to management?
You may have noticed the extent of the difference between the tasks of the leader and the tasks of the manager, and perhaps it will come to your mind now that the leader is better than the manager, so is this true?
In fact, the two are complementary to each other. It is true that the leader is characterized by daring, risk-taking, and creativity, while the manager seeks to maintain order and impose control, but this does not mean that one is better than the other. Successful companies need leaders and managers to run smoothly. Loss of management exposes the company to loss of commitment and failure to achieve goals. While her lack of leadership exposes her to stagnation and a loss of motivation and inspiration.
It may seem that the leader and the manager are on different sides of the scale, especially when it comes to power, but they are nonetheless part of one team. A leader may have a great vision, but without managers working to achieve it, he will surely fail. Although the managers are committed to the rules and laws and strive to achieve them, if they are not motivated and encouraged by the leaders, they will not be able to succeed in their work.
How do you balance leadership and management?
There is a perfect balance point between leadership and management, and a successful company is one that can reach that point. The truly successful are the ones who know when to use their leadership skills and when to use their managerial skills.
When do you use leadership skills?
The degree to which you use leadership skills depends on the work environment, the nature of the company’s work, and the workforce within it. If employees are aware of the company’s vision and overall goals, it will be easier to motivate and inspire them using leadership skills. In order for someone in a responsible position in the company to draw on leadership skills, they need to ensure that employees are aware of and adhere to the company’s general policies. If you have to follow up on your employees to do essential tasks at all times, it will be difficult to apply leadership skills to them. But if the work team is composed of serious people who fully know their roles and are able to reconcile creativity and innovation with their responsibilities, then the official can play the role of a leader to advance the company.
When do you use the manager role?
When a new employee comes to the company, he or she will need to know how things are going in the organization. Herein lies the importance of the presence of managers in the company, especially when the work team is new. Because they help these employees know how things are done in the organization and how to best perform their work. They are also better able to know the capabilities and competencies of employees. They know that giving them too many tasks will negatively affect their productivity. So they work to keep employees productive by understanding how each employee deals with stress.
Read also: How do you master self learning ?
