The Difference Between a Manager and a Leader

Leader. Leadership. One of these might be the first word that comes to mind when someone asks themselves, "What qualities make a good manager?" That word might or might not be part of any individual person that is a manager.

Some may think that a Manager and a Leader are the same, but they are not necessarily identical. An effective manager will have leadership qualities and "manager" will be only one facet of a "LEADER."

A Leader possesses a natural set of talents that inspire people to follow, to be loyal, and to produce. Some managers have these qualities, but others do not possess them, or have them to some degree that can be enhanced through training and coaching. Ongoing Professional Development would target that need and a good alternative would be Self-Improvement training through books, a career coach, a counselor, a job club, a professional organization, or other entities and resources.

Those managers that do not have specific leadership qualities and talents or that do not receive guidance to draw them out sometimes work much harder than their subordinates to produce results for the company. In extreme cases, they may even become workaholics and possibly feel that their subordinates are not capable of adequate work production and quality. He/she may become resentful of them and they of him/her.

Regardless of the dynamics, some of these managers remain stymied in the same occupational title and pay level for decades. They become "too valuable in their positions to replace' and "not valuable enough" as asset for the administration develop to move up the ladder and secure increased company results. Such development may be viewed as a risky gamble by the company leadership and training costs and replacement costs to move up that manager may be formidable.

We have seen the portrayal in film, television, and art of the frustrated, hardworking manager toiling around the clock in rolled-up shirtsleeves. Such a hands-on manager, in fact, can be inspiring to subordinates, but he can also work himself into illness. He/she likely could accomplish more for the company by delegating duties and leading subordinates into a network that is structured for optimal results.

Leadership qualities are the characteristics that propel the manager upward in the company and a long-term career. They produce increased business results for the company and the customers or clients that it serves.

Sometimes, a manager is a babysitter with a glorified title. This might be someone that accepts the title "Manager" and by doing so, helps to lower an organizational framework over a group of people - There are now a Manager and Subordinates, where before, everyone was more or less equal and a kind of pecking order likely existed - This pecking order, actually, is an informal Vertical Team in a self-placed hierarchy. There is a clearer hierarchy after the installation of a Manager and the natural pecking order may assert itself more strongly within it. In fact, some people might quit if they do not think the Manager deserves to be a Manager, even if there is no increase in pay or duties with the title. Whatever the manifestation, if the Manager does not use leadership qualities to advantage, the dynamics of the work group may change for the worse.

Sometimes a manager is actually a frontline worker (as opposed to a supervisor) that is paid just a bit more than subordinates in order to set a faster, more productive work pace. I have known managers that earned only 5 cents per hour more than their subordinates, yet produced 50+% more work output, performing the same job and having very few additional responsibilities. One such manager's only additional role was to be the first of the group to arrive and the last to leave, just before the Department Supervisor.

A Manager and a Leader, then, are not necessarily the same. In addition, effective management is a skill needed by leaders when they hope and plan to rise in the workplace to higher, more responsible, and better-paying job titles during a long-term or lifelong career.

Leadership

Leadership is one characteristics of an Effective Manager.

The goal a manager is to maximize work output for the company. To do so, effective managers must:

• Organize
• Plan and schedule
• Hire, staff, develop, and fire as needed
• Direct assigned operations
• Control production and costs
• Act as a role model - e.g. work in production him(her)self as needed

At times, leadership is not even required in management - very self-motivated teams do not always need a central leader (this is more like a democratic Horizontal Team). Other times, a natural leader may arise in a work group, and is not the Manager. This may result in conflict.

Points of View

Managers often think in terms of production and Leaders think in terms of the future.

Managers may follow manuals and quotas while Leaders follow their own vision and innovation.

Managers work, while Leaders think and create.

Managers are often a cog in the company wheel of production, while Leaders are outside production as stand out in their un-cog-like differences.

Aside from the foregoing discussion, effective Managers need these skills. We can remember them by recalling:

I CEEE CAT (I see cat.)

Integrity

Effective, Appropriate, and Timely Communication

Enthusiasm/Energy

Empathy

Competence

Calm During Crises - Confidence and skillful problem-solving

Ability to Delegate

Team-Building Skills

Additional characteristics, skills, and personal qualities will enhance the work of and the results achieved by both Leaders and Managers, and the above list is a very good foundation upon which to build an effective Job Personality.