THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN MANAGEMENT AND LEADERSHIP (AND HOW YOU CAN DO BOTH)
In a modern world with modern working practices; more than ever, managers are striving to have an all-rounder approach to how they support their team.
Rather than just fulfilling the basic practices of a manager by delegating work and conducting performance reviews, they want to lead by example, inspire, and truly support each employee's success. This is a good thing but if you don't know how to distinguish the two, one can be neglected leading to issues with employee-manager relationships as well as productivity and morale.
But how do you distinguish the differences to know if you’re applying both? Well, keep reading.
WHAT IS MANAGEMENT?
Firstly, managing isn't bad. Leadership has become such a buzzword, rightly so, but it should never be used as a replacement for properly managing your team.
A well-rounded manager not only motivates but also guides with actionable steps. If you're a manager who is full of motivation but can't provide them with direction on how to be efficient in a task, or you struggle to put processes in place, you'll be a manager full of words leading to a lack of respect.
Without a manager who manages, you have a team of directionless individuals who don’t know what to do and how to progress. If you don’t have management at the foundation, your leadership will be just words – no action.
Management is taking responsibility of:
Structured training
Planning and delegating projects
Overseeing productivity
Creating progression plans
These are things that can’t be neglected.
Management creates a sense of stability in your employees (and in yourself).
WHAT IS LEADERSHIP?
A manager who doesn't see the value of leadership is a manager who doesn't practice what they preach and will be less likely to make a lasting impact on their team.
The reality is – you're the person your team looks up to. You set the example for all things professionalism, business acumen and mindset. But if you lack those traits, employees won’t just lack in them too, but they will lack respect for you.
And do you want to encourage great morale, a positive culture, and high engagement? You can’t truly accomplish this without leadership. It’s what puts the empathy, humanity, innovation, and inspiration into an organisation. Without it, you have drab processes with no motivation to achieve them. You have great minds with great ideas and creativity, but no one is there to unlock them.
Not to mention, leadership encourages autonomy which means managers who adapt it will avoid micromanagement but build trust as a mentor.
HOW TO BE A MANAGER AND A LEADER
Be Timely
Know when to be structured and when to inspire. It sounds a bit like 'good cop, bad cop' but if you know how and when to transition between manager and leader, you'll be highly respected for it. There's a time and place for fun and innovation just as much as there is for laying the line down and adopting a leadership style that suits critical situations.
Expect Excellence
I know what you're thinking, this just sounds totalitarian. But it's far from it. The best managers aren't the 'nicest' or even the 'toughest'. The best managers are the ones who act with excellence and expect excellence in return. As a result, you create a culture where people know they are valued members because they put valuable work in. So they don't work hard out of fear, they work hard because they know they play a vital role.
- Written by Oliver Howson
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