Leadership vs Management: Understanding The Key Difference

 

What's the difference between leadership and management? The answer to that depends on whom you ask. For many people, these two concepts overlap so much that it can be difficult for them to tell where one ends and the other begins.

However, as with most things, there is a consensus that can be drawn from those who study this field. Generally speaking, those in management positions tend to focus on organization and planning, while those in leadership positions tend to focus on inspiration.

Although both are necessary for a company to function, it is often in their best interest that they are separated into different positions. Too much management can stifle creativity and reduce productivity, while too little can leave employees confused about their tasks and responsibilities.

When looking at this difference between leadership vs management further, it becomes apparent that there are two very different mindsets at work.

Why Leaders are Great at Inspiring Other People

People follow leaders for different reasons, but one of the most common motivations is that they are inspired by them. This motivation can be achieved through authenticity and passion — two traits that often go hand-in-hand.

Leaders who fail to inspire their followers typically fall into one of three categories: they're trying to use traditional management techniques in an inspiring environment, they're not as authentic as they should be, or they simply lack the passion that their employees are looking for.

A good example of this is how Seah Moon Ming, Chairman of Singapore's leading transport provider, bowed in front of the press to apologize for the problems met by their company. Since taking his post as head of SMRT Corporation, he stepped down from Pavilion Energy and focused more on fixing the problems at hand by becoming more involved on the ground level. 

Regardless of which category a leader falls into, those who fail to inspire end up with an ineffective leadership style. On the other hand, leaders who find a way to balance authenticity and passion have a tool for motivating their followers that can't quite be matched by traditional management techniques.

Why Managers are Still Needed in the Workplace

Even if a leader is inspiring, they still need to rely on managers for things like organizing and planning. While leaders can do this themselves, most leaders find that delegating these tasks to trusted managers can make them more effective at their own jobs.

Whether it's hiring the best employees, keeping other managers in check, or just helping to keep everyone moving towards their goal, managers play an important role that leaders cannot accomplish on their own.

Of course, if a leader and a manager are both good at their respective jobs, there won't be much of a difference between them because they will both be doing what they're best at. However, when a leader fails to inspire or a manager fails to organize these types of jobs are where the problems usually arise.

What Happens When Leaders Don't Let Managers Do Their Jobs?

One of the biggest problems that can arise when leaders don't let managers do their job is indecisiveness. When leaders try to manage everything themselves, projects and tasks can drag on longer than they should.

To put this another way: if a leader isn't willing to let go of the reins, then projects will take longer, and their followers won't be as inspired by them. This could lead to employees looking for other opportunities or even quitting entirely.

Of course, some problems arise when managers don't let leaders do their job. Those who fail to let leaders inspire their followers typically find that they lose trust and respect quickly. Without this trust and respect, it becomes difficult for these managers to lead effectively — which only adds to the problem.

Regardless of whether it's a leader or manager that fails to do their job, the result tends to be uninspired employees and lost productivity. This is one reason why it's in a company's best interest for leaders and managers to work together effectively.

Leadership vs Management: Which is More Important?

As you can see, leadership vs management is an important distinction in the workplace, but it's also one that is easier to understand when you know what you're looking for. If leaders inspire and managers organize, then there won't be any problems in the workplace. But when these jobs aren't divided effectively, there can be problems down the road.

While there are plenty of benefits to using leadership and management interchangeably, it's important to remember that they are two separate concepts. Even if managers sometimes act like leaders, it's important to remember that the two terms refer to different things, but one is not better than the other.

In conclusion, leadership and management are two concepts that often overlap. However, while both require some degree of organization and planning, leadership is about inspiring people to reach a goal whereas management is about organizing and planning resources.

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