Differences Between Management and Leadership

Differences Between Management and Leadership

Management and leadership are often used in the same context, yet they do not mean the

same thing. Managers think incrementally, while leaders think radically. The difference

in the perspectives is that leaders tend to lead with emotion and concern for their

subordinates. Managers tend to follow guidelines and company policies. Managers also

use management functions to achieve their desired goals.

Loyalty is important amongst leaders. Team members tend to be more loyal to their

leaders than their managers. This is due in part to leaders accepting the blame for when

things go wrong, celebrating team/group achievements and giving credit when it is due.

Managers do not interact with their subordinates as much as leaders do. A manager is

someone who must be obeyed and a leader is someone who people choose to follow. The

fact that teams can operate without a leader defines leaders as an asset and not essential

to team success. Managers and leaders may often clash due to difference of opinions and

views. Although a team is knowledgeable on who the manager is, a subordinate may

often appear to be an informal leader. At this point a manager may feel that his or her

authority may be in question. Managers must be able to accept ideas and views from

their subordinates. Although, they (managers) may have the formal education for their

position, it is experience and common knowledge that sets leaders apart from managers.

Management usually consists of people who are experienced in their field, and who have

worked their way up the company. A manager knows how each layer of the system works

Management and Leadership 4

and may also possess a good technical knowledge. A leader can be a new arrival to a

company who has bold, fresh, new ideas but might not have experience or wisdom

The role of a leader is to ensure that the desired tasks and guidelines are implemented

throughout the team. Managers can not be everywhere at once, which is why leaders are

often put into place to echo management’s requirements. Leaders are the link between

the team and management. Therefore leaders should show more compassion and

understanding of the team. Since they interact with the team more frequently, they can

speak on the team’s behalf for the positive and negative. Leaders must show emotion

when dealing with the team. They can better assess the needs of the team and relay this

back to the manager. A manager oversees the outcome of a plan and leaders enforce the

requirements.

The breakdown of the Army is depicted in the differences between managers and

leaders. Commissioned officers are the managers and Non-Commissioned Officers are

the leaders of soldiers. In order to effectively create a healthy organizational culture,

managers and leaders must work together and have generally the same views . Although

this is not always possible, a general compromise must be put into play in order to

accomplish a common goal. As a leader, it is my job to ensure that my soldiers can

function