Leadership vs. management: Do you know the difference between these two skill sets? While they may both be needed in an organization, they are not interchangeable. If you’re hiring an employee, make sure you understand how leadership differs from management and how that difference can determine which job candidate is right for you to hire.
Leadership vs. Management
In many cases, a person is primarily gifted as a leader or a manager. The quickest way to frustrate a leader is to put them in a management position; meanwhile, the quickest way to overwhelm a manager is to put them in a leadership position.
It is important to know the differences, strengths, and weaknesses as these are critical to placement and position within an organization. The person who places them in the wrong role will constantly be disappointed with their performance.
Let’s break down these two roles.
What Does It Mean to Be a Leader?
A leader motivates people, casts a vision, and sees the organization’s future. They set the course and see the destination ahead, and they think and speak in futuristic terms. Their strengths are communication, intuitive decision-making, and working with a vast array of people. Their goal is to get people in the right place.
What Does It Mean to Be a Manager?
A manager keeps motivated people accountable for their assigned tasks. The strength of a manager is to make sure there is a system in place for the leader’s vision to be executed. The manager asks the right questions when the leader makes intuitive decisions. Finally, the manager helps the people who have been put in the right place perform to the highest standard by walking with them by helping problem solve on a day-to-day basis.
Both Leaders and Managers Are Needed in an Organization
Every organization will need properly placed leaders and managers. Leadership is not better or superior to management. Both need each other. If leadership doesn’t have the management portion, then the vision will never be executed consistently.
On the flip side, if management does not have leadership, then there will never be forward momentum through motivation and vision. Let’s take a deeper look at how these two roles work together.
1. Leadership Works Through Others; Management Does the Work
A leader finds people and works through them to accomplish the task. Leaders build teams and manage the team by leading them as a group. A manager executes the work. Managers would rather work than take time to train others to do the work. A leader is more like a coach on a team, while a manager is like a player.
2. Leadership Is Big Picture; Management Is Day to Day
Leadership sees how every part works together in the organization. They see the overall budget and trajectory. Meanwhile, management knows their role and what is needed of them. Great leaders help the team with the gift of perspective. Great managers make sure the day-to-day operations are fulfilled.
3. Leadership Does the Right Thing; Management Does Things Right
Managers focus on doing everything right. They make sure that each small task is performed to almost absolute perfection. A leader will not be as good with the details. They may cut corners on small tasks to move the ball forward for the big picture. This can frustrate managers when leaders have to do management-type work. The manager may feel that the leader lacks competence or even integrity. Whereas, the leader just has another goal in mind: to make the right big move. They will always shift their mental energy to that task.
4. Leadership Deals with Vision; Management Deals with Execution
Leadership deals with a future-oriented vision for the organization–the What? and Why? of a project. However, management deals with the present by asking questions like How? and When? While leaders focus on steps 1, 2, and 10 of the vision, managers want to execute steps 3 through 9.
This is another reason why leadership and management must work hand in hand. Without leadership, the organization has no vision. And without management, the organization has very little execution of the vision.
5. Leadership Creates Change; Management Reacts to It
Leaders are, by nature, catalysts for change. They see what could be and what should be. So, they are always looking to change the current to reach the future.
But when a leader makes changes, it creates a ripple effect for the whole organization. That is when management comes in to help create systems for the changes made. They must react to the change.
A manager wants to make things as efficient as possible. The leader wants to make sure that progress is the bottom line.
6. Leaders Work in the Future; Management Works in the Present
As it has been established, this is probably the overarching difference between leadership and management. Leaders will use future tense verbs, while management uses present tense verbs. The leader wants to wow the room with vision, and management wants to how the room with the execution of the vision.
Misplaced Leaders and Manager Can’t Thrive
For any organization to thrive, there must be leadership and management. But if a person is misplaced in their role, then they will frustrate the organization. For instance, if a visionary leader is in a management role that requires attention to detail, then they will underperform. They will drop the ball on executing the details of the day-to-day operations. There might also be a “butting of heads” between them and who they report to in the organization.
The same is true for misplaced managers who end up in a pure leadership role. The manager will be so focused on doing the day-to-day tasks right that they might micromanage staff or create so many policies that it bottlenecks those who report to them. The organization or department will also lack creativity and vision, which will affect progress as well as morale.
Leaders and Managers Don’t Always Understand Each Other
Another problem that arises between leaders and managers is when they don’t understand each other. A leader can get very frustrated by a manager.
Picture this scenario: The leader comes into a meeting to share their big vision. They motivate people and increase the energy in the room. But then the manager starts asking the “how” and “when” questions. The leader may see these questions challenging their leadership if they don’t understand their value.
Meanwhile, the manager has to understand that those questions need to be asked but probably not at the moment. If they’re not careful, the manager can how the wow out of the room, thus killing the energy and morale.
Both leadership and management are equally as important to the continued progress and growth of an organization.
Frequently Asked Questions
Here are some common questions Christian employers might ask:
1. Can someone effectively fulfill both leadership and management roles in an organization?
While rare, some individuals can bridge both roles if they can adapt between vision-setting and day-to-day operations. However, this can lead to burnout due to the different demands of each role. Organizations often find it beneficial to keep these roles separate, ensuring leaders and managers support each other rather than blending responsibilities.
2. In what situations is it more beneficial to apply leadership skills over management skills?
Leadership skills are especially beneficial in times of change or uncertainty when teams need a clear vision and encouragement to adapt. Leaders are crucial when an organization faces challenges that require creativity, resilience, and long-term thinking. In contrast, management skills are essential when stability, efficiency, and task completion are the primary focus, such as during routine operations or when implementing established procedures.
3. How can leaders and managers improve their skills to support organizational growth?
Leaders can benefit from developing empathy, active listening, and strategic foresight to better connect with their teams and make informed decisions. Managers, meanwhile, should focus on honing organizational, analytical, and communication skills to ensure they can efficiently execute plans and resolve issues. Professional development programs, mentorship, and cross-training can help both leaders and managers strengthen skills that complement each other, driving balanced organizational growth.
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