Leader vs Manager: What is the Difference?

What makes you a good manager? Does being a good maager automatically make you a good leader? Is there a difference between leadership and management?

This is an age long debate - Leaders vs Managers. According to differencebetween:

1. A manager manages and takes responsibility of a situation. A leader takes charge, is influential, and sets an example.
2. The manager has responsibilities and is able to delegate and implement plans. A leader is an example for others and is someone who doesn’t necessarily have a large responsibility.
3. Managers have subordinates who follow their rules. Leaders have individuals who believe in what they say, otherwise known as followers.
4. Leaders focus on human emotion and charisma to lead. Managers focus on concise, scientifically proven methods to lead.

A successful business owner/CEO needs to be both a strong leader and a good manager to ensure success of the business. According to Go2HR, a strong leader has these traits:

• Honesty & Integrity: are crucial to get your people to believe you and buy in to the journey you are taking them on
• Vision: know where you are, where you want to go and enroll your team in charting a path for the future
• Inspiration: inspire your team to be all they can by making sure they understand their role in the bigger picture
• Ability to Challenge: do not be afraid to challenge the status quo, do things differently and have the courage to think outside the box
• Communication Skills: keep your team informed of the journey, where you are, where you are heading and share any roadblocks you may encounter along the way

Whilst a strong manager, would have these traits

• Being Able to Execute a Vision: take a strategic vision and break it down into a roadmap to be followed by the team
• Ability to Direct: day-to-day work efforts, review resources needed and anticipate needs along the way
• Process Management: establish work rules, processes, standards and operating procedures
• People Focused: look after your people, their needs, listen to them and involve them

Harvard Business review summarises the differences as the following 3 major differences:

1. Counting value (manager) vs Creating value (leader)
2. Circles of power (manager) vs Circles of influence (leader)
3. Managing Work (manager) vs Leading people (leader)

This infographic below best summarises the differences: