WEEKLY FOCUS
Leaders V Managers
What are the differences? Listen here
We find that this is a question often asked of us at Solution Focused.
People with a responsibility for teams and groups of individuals will often say (and so can a CV or role profile), I manage upwards of 100 people…Few say I lead upwards of 100 people.
The clear definition…
Management is a set of procedures that hold the business together…The cog within the organisation. Without management on a daily basis, the business would fail. This may include all of the functions that support policy and procedures…Budgets…Plans…KPI etc.
Leadership is needed to bring the above to life…”It is about aligning people to the values and vision of the organisation”.
It can also be about creating “buy in” to the policies and procedures but in a way that the people understand why they are there, what needs to happen, and are engaged in such a way that they want to both individually and collectively, want to make the plans a reality and successfully. Leaders make this happen.
Think about it this way, with these five examples.
Managers create policy…Leaders have the vision to make the policy a reality
Managers create plans…Leaders create the buy in to make the plans a success
Managers support an organisation…Leaders provide the oxygen to bring this to life
Managers create a structure…Leaders give people the tools to grow and thrive
Managers create systems…Leaders empower people to think for themselves
So are the two mutually exclusive?
Management is vital to an organisation…Without this, the business would grind to a halt. Great Leadership is equally vital, as this allows people to thrive and flourish through guidance and coaching…Providing the fabric to collectively make the organisation a success.
Leaders need a structure…They also need the skills and talents…with the passion to develop teams of individuals to become greater than the sum of their parts.
Leaders also have to manage…But in a way that purely build on the structure…Managers will be more successful in their roles if they also recognise the skills of a Leader.
“Management is doing things right; leadership is doing the right things”.
Peter Drucker