Leaders are Managers, But Managers are not Necessarily Leaders.

“Leadership is the art or process of influencing people so that they will strive willingly and enthusiastically towards the achievement of the organization’s purpose." (Lynch, 2009)

 

Who is Manager.?

A person who controlling or administering an organization or group of staff. In simple term, Manager has to manage assigned tasks or event. It doesn’t make any sense whether he has to manage people or robots because manager only focusing for assign task. Employee satisfaction, career enhancements, people motivations are not in his vocabulary. Event and deadline are only factors that manager try to drive. In other word, Efficiency.

 

How Leadership comes to the frame.?

When manager works without human sense, that is directly impacting to employee happiness. Then employee doesn’t have any loyalty with the organization. Loyalty employees are very important to organizations because they will not leave from the organization when the bad time comes.

Then organizations are required cultural change. Manager roll become out date roll and it was transformed to Leadership. Then organizations are gradually driving the business with effectiveness and employee focusing.

There are two types of skills require for leadership.

Table 1: Leadership Skills

 

All Managers are Leaders.?

No way. As per Table 1, there are specific skills that required to become a leader.

Figure 1: Manager Vs Leader

Manager always says, “Do it”. Manager can do commanding. No humanity in work life. No mutual bond with employees. This attitude no longer valid for cooperate culture.

Leaders are always closely working with employees and motivate them to drive to milestones. Employees never feels fed-up because they are feeling that leader also working like them. Then automatically equality concept is established among employees. Then effectiveness is very high.

Employees also have dreams. Organization should have visibility on it. Leader always helping to make their professional dreams come true. Promotions, salary increment, and personality development are some aspects that require for personal development. If organization can help for personal development, employees become a loyal employee.

Figure 2: Indra Nooyi, former CEO of Pepsi CO.

Difference between Leaders and Managers

According to Duggal (2022) article, able to explain differences under four segments. 

1.       Differences in Vision

Leaders are considered as visionaries. They have set the path for organizational growth. They are always watchful when they are driving to the milestone. Whenever want, they are changing the plan with team to make sure to achieve the target.

When compared to Manager, they are setting the plan and process to achieve the goal and whatever happened, they are adhered to the plan.

 

2.       Organizing vs Aligning

Managers are achieving goals by setting chain of activities and process. Break into tiny segments and consider available resources to reach the goals.

But leaders are more focused to influence people and assign to them. Meanwhile leader is focusing employee growth as well.

 

3.       Differences in Queries

Leaders always ask, What and Why. Through this question pattern, they are reaching depth of the question and find a solution that eliminating forever.

But Manager always focuses on current situation and only ask How and When questions. Manager always provide short term solutions and manage current situation.

 

4.       Position vs Quality

Manager always act as per Job description that assigned by Organization. Never expect to go beyond the boundaries. Then no value addition to the Organization.

But leader never frame their work life with designation. Whenever wants, they will take the upper hand to manage the situation and acting like a leader. At this point, never focus on the position he/she holds and focusing with others to overcome the situation.

Conclusion

Leaders are always managers, but Managers are needed to improve skills and abilities to become a Leader.

 

 References

Duggal, N., 2022. Simplilearn. [Online]
Available at: https://www.simplilearn.com/leadership-vs-management-difference-article
[Accessed 26 03 2022].

Lynch, R., 2009. Strategic Management. In: Strategic Management (5th Ed). New York: FT Prentice Hall, p. 600.