Leaders and managers are different roles, but did you know that both are critical for business success? Many people use the terms leadership and management interchangeably, even though they don't know that these are two different concepts. The term "leader" is actions without dictating, and inspires others to try their best through their words, and the term "manager" is someone who directs the work of others. Many people choose the term leader over manager, but in fact, both are needed to achieve success.
SMEBrother will explain in this article about the nuances between management vs leadership, starting from definitions, differences, examples, and everything you need to know.
Is lead and manage the same?
Lead and manage describe two separate concepts. Lead is guiding on a way by going in advance, while managing is handling or directing with a degree of skill. If examined in depth, both descriptions share much in common, but the explanations show the differences between the two.
Every company needs leaders and managers, but it doesn't have to be in the same person or in the same capacity. Simply leaders lead people, managers manage tasks.
Leadership and management definitions
Management is the idea of control and is responsible for using any available resources to be implemented to get the right action and coordinate it to the business towards its goals. Management is responsible for organizing actions and implementing tactics to move a business to achieve goals, while leadership sets those goals.
Leadership is a position that looks at the larger picture to focus on influencing, aligning, and motivating team members to support their vision. Leadeship understands how to motivate and choreograph their team to achieve high-performance and achieving goals together.
The skill sets of management vs leadership are identical, but these two roles will get different outcomes. Managers tend to be more focused on completing specific tasks and building effective teams, while leaders focus on inspiring and motivating employees to get their best potential.
Management vs leadership examples
If you are still confused about the difference between leadership and management, we made up some scenarios that will help to illustrate the difference between them.
- Avengers get the award for the best security, in part of the Avengers efforts to protect the earth. Representatives of the presidents of the worlds thanks to the head of the team during the world meeting.
Manager : Tony "Iron-Man" Stark says thank you, and will tell the team when he returns back to the Avengers compound.
Leader : Steve "Captain America" Rogers insists that the team effort and mentions several highlights and specific contributions of team members, giving his teammates well-praised for the hard work.
- Team Gryffindor is having a hard time because they lost several Quidditch matches and made their competitor, Team Slytherine, ranked first.
Manager: Harry tells the team that their performance need to improve warns of the consequences if the results of the game are losing continuously. Harry provided additional training to prepare for the next match, and promised a vacation with the team if he managed to return to the top of the standings.
Leader: Ron is closer to the team members, and he knows which members need to play better and how to motivate the other members to stay focused and enthusiastic. Ron also opens the conversation about Ron's opinion for each member for the past game, which tactics worked, and which ones needed improvement. Ron also listens to the team members' opinions, offers suggestions, and accepts criticism for his play on the games.
- The Kowloon branch of Justice League is a small team that works well, always on target compared to other branches.
Manager: Superman says nice job, but no need to praise the staff excessively. He notifies the team when the team achieves targets or on good sales days, but also tells the team when the team is screwed up, and needs to deal with it.
Leader: Batman expresses his gratitude to his colleagues on a regular basis. He praises specific achievements and which areas have succeeded in making this branch progress. He facilitates coworkers by giving compliments and bonuses to encourage others to get the same achievements.
- At the car dealer "Andy's Best Car," employees Rex and Potato Head respectively ask their bosses Sheriff Woody for a raise.
Manager: Buzz Lightyear informs Rex and Mr. Potato Head that salary increases are standard and depend on the annual evaluation. The company can only provide pay increases from the performance review period. When Rex reminds Buzz that this year's raises were frozen because there were several poor performances, Buzz says he will reconsider raising but makes no promises.
Best Strategies to Improve Employee Performance
Leader: Woody hears his employees by agreeing with his team members' justification and logic. Woody negotiates with executives and insists his employees get a raise in the near future, with promises of evaluation in a few months motivating Rex and Mr. Potato Head to work with chasing targets.
- The Monsters Inc. is facing staffing challenges. The demand for electrical power is increasing, and the team is dividing up the tasks for everyone, but the result is longer than expected. The staff is exhausted because they are overworked, and there are many other unexpected problems.
Manager: Mike Wazowski tells the team to increase their performance to deal with the problem of electric power demand until it is fulfilled. He knows that his employees are overwhelmed, but that is what it is and tells the employees to hold on until that period is over. He says that everyone can rest after the target is met.
Leader: James P. Sullivan asks what resources or what help can be done for his team, and tries to make the journey alongside teammates. He adds extra manpower to the team, and does other things to ease the burden, and finds ways to figure out solutions to reduce the stress of his employees.
Which is more important leadership vs management?
Both leadership and management are crucial for organizational needs. But, leadership is more important and must be in the core organization. Management regulates the student process, leadership handles the vision and passion of employees and building a successful business.
But even though leadership is more ahead than management, it doesn't mean management is not needed. Both must exist and be sustainable to achieve goals, because management vs leadership is something that cannot be separated.
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