When aliens land on earth in the movies they never say, "take me to your manager." But why not manager? Aren't leader and manager synonyms? Is it important to understand what defines a leader vs. a manager? I mean, my boss leads my department, so she must be my leader. What is the difference between leadership and management?
In an ideal situation managers are leaders. But when that's not the case, here are five differences between a leader and a manager.
1) Managers Manage the Tasks at Hand. Leaders Lead Towards the Future.
Managers are focused on getting the current job done. That's fine—it needs to get done. But a leader is looking at the big picture. He or she asks the tough questions, such as: How does this task lead towards the quarter's goals? How does this fit into the company's overall plan? How does this help prepare the employees for their future career goals?
2) Managers Supervise People or Tasks. Leaders can be Individual Contributors.
There are people managers and project managers. Each has a defined set of responsibilities. Sometimes a leader doesn't have a big title, and it's just the person that everyone looks up to for guidance and direction to be an individual contributor. This person embodies leadership and people naturally follow. This is the type of person to watch out for and promote to management.
3) Leader's Guide People Towards Success. Managers Tell People What to Do.
If you're a checklist type of a manager, you're probably not a leader. Check boxes aren't bad—they aren't. But, if all you can do is tell people to check off boxes, it's not leadership. A leader inspires and supports other people to succeed, and sometimes that involves individual tasks and sometimes it involves letting things evolve on their own.
4) Leaders Are Willing to Give up control. Managers Set Directions for Everything.
When a direct report becomes too proficient, it can send ill-equipped managers into a frenzy. Leaders rejoice and recognize that this person is ready for more responsibility and a possible promotion. Managers may be tempted to keep their tasks and their projects close at hand. Leaders recognize when someone is ready to take on new responsibilities and rejoices in that.
5) Leaders Care About the People. Managers Care About the Numbers.
Numbers are important—anyone who tells you otherwise is off his rocker. However, they aren't the only thing that matters. A manager might bark at a slow moving worker to pick up the pace, but an empathetic leader will ask if there is a problem and offer a solution. Both leaders and managers may end up firing an employee who can't pull it together, but a leader will try to resolve the issue first.
Resolving a problem is often a more difficult task than firing an employee. Ignoring a it doesn't make it go away and will likely encourage your best employees to quit. Managers focus on hitting targets, while leaders see if their team is solid and if there are problems brewing.
If you're a manager—whether it's of a project or people—stop and take a look at how you conduct yourself. Are you acting as a true leader, or simply as a manager? It is important to understand the differences that define leaders vs. managers and to make sure you focus on developing the former.
Learn how to create stronger managers across your organization with these resources to help managers prepare for their 1:1 meetings and give truly helpful and effective feedback to employees.
Photo: Twenty20
関連資料
製品やお客様事例、最新の業界のインサイトなどをご紹介しています。
電子書籍
新しい世界に向けた仕事の再構築：2024年のHRトレンド予測
貴社では、昨今の急激なビジネスの変化のスピードにどの程度対応できていますか？ 従業員を対象にした調査によると、41%が自分のスキルを伸ばすために必要なものを持っていないと考えており、59%がさらに多くのキャリアガイダンスを求めているという結果が出ています。そこでこれまで以上に重要になるのが、HR担当者が最新のトレンドを把握し、それが従業員や組織にとって何を意味するのかを理解して活用することです。例えばAIはトレンドの1つですが、60%以上の組織では、人財開発プログラムの最適化にAIテクノロジーを活用していません。
ブログ投稿
The 5 Employment Laws Every Manager Must Know
Employment law is complicated and can have big repercussions for your company if employees fail to adhere to it — either out of ignorance or neglect. A talent contractor for Comcast was just forced to pay $7.5 million to settle a lawsuit over unpaid overtime — a violation of employment law. While you can't expect everyone at your company to be experts in the law (that's why you should have an attorney on retainer), your managers should be trained on the basics. Otherwise, you make your company susceptible to lawsuits.
ブログ投稿
10 ways to conduct one-on-one meetings with impact
One of the basic premises of being an effective leader is to have regular one-on-one meetings with your staff. Yet often, these meetings feel like torture to the employee, lacking forethought and focus. In such cases, leaders need to recognize that the value of these interactions extends beyond mere formality. To make these one-on-ones effective, leaders should prepare for each meeting, set clear agendas and actively listen to their employees' concerns and feedback.