Leaders and managers are two distinct roles that are often confused. While they share some essential characteristics, there are many differences that differentiate them. In general, the key difference is that a manager will focus on planning, organizing, and coordinating resources to manage tasks and deliver results. A leader, on the other hand, will inspire, motivate, and influence those around them, driving people to achieve their goals and objectives as they work to achieve the bigger picture.
Leaders are focused on people, on all the stakeholders they need to influence to realize their vision. They create a vision that people can follow and draw a picture of what they see as possible, inspiring and engaging their team to turn that vision into reality. Leaders also have an empathic approach to problem-solving, addressing and resolving the issues and complaints of their team members. Managers, in contrast, are concerned with the daily operations of a company.
They oversee staff in the daily operations of an organization and are responsible for planning, organizing, and coordinating resources to manage tasks and deliver results. No matter how you look at it, there are some personality traits that great leaders display in their work and interactions. They are insightful, inspiring, and intuitive rather than leading, controlling, and commanding. Leaders also understand that if they don't learn something new every day, they're not sitting still, they're falling behind.
Now let's move on to the ways in which the effectiveness of leadership and management can be measured and understood. There is no litmus test to determine if someone is a manager or a leader; however, some differences between the personality traits of an effective leader and those of a manager make the line of distinction between them clearer.
