There’s a stark difference between leadership and management though many people think it’s roundabout the same thing. What differentiates a leader from a manager? In any organization, leadership and management go together in a purely symbiotic relationship. This is why it is difficult to separate one from another and any attempt to separate them would most likely lead to problems and probably anarchy in an organization! The biggest difference between both would probably be the way they connect to people.
The way a manager would motivate his team would be completely different from the way a leader would motivate them! Let’s try to understand how a leader differs from a manager.
Managing vs Leading
As mentioned above, a manager manages work! A manager has subordinates whom he relies on to get the work done. A manager controls his team in such a way so as to achieve the desired results! Whereas, a leader helps in motivating and inspiring people in such a way that they want to contribute towards the success of an organization!
Developing vs Maintaining
A leader develops! He develops innovation whereas a manager helps in maintaining every process so that it leads to organizational success. That’s where the two differ distinctly! Even though a manager is also responsible for motivating his team but he does not innovate.
Trust vs Control
A manager relies on control to get the job done! He maintains control and order in such a way that even if his team is not motivated about the job, they would still do it. Compared to a manager, a leader relies on trust to get the job done! You’ll be surprised at how easily people put in all of their efforts if it is a relationship that banks upon trust.
People Working for You vs People Following You
Perhaps the biggest difference between a leader and a manager is that managers have people working for them! Managers get the job done by the virtue of a controlling relationship and that is why they have people working for them. Whereas, leaders have followers! People follow them because they give them inspiration, innovation and motivation!
Now you know the difference between a leader and a manager! Every organization has both, leaders and managers. And because of the relationship that they share, an organization cannot function without either a leader or a manager. So are you a leader or a manager?