Although leadership and management are two words that are often used interchangeably, they represent different characteristics. Being a leader is not the same as being a manager. This is because their duties and responsibilities differ. Primarily, leaders concern themselves with doing what’s right. Managers on the other hand, concern themselves with doing what’s best. And there are several key reasons Why Leaders Concern Themselves with Doing What’s Right. Lets get started!
Leaders Focus on Goals and Vision, Managers Focus on Tasks
Leaders are oriented towards the goals and vision of their company. They look at the big picture and come up with new ways to reach these goals. They always tie their ideas to the mission of the company when trying new things. Managers on the other hand are task-masters. That’s why they focus on doing what’s best. While they also know about the vision of the company and care about doing what’s right, their job is to stick to policy.
Leaders Take Risks, Managers Minimize Risks
Leaders take risks by default. They always strive to do what’s right. They push for change and they know that you must take a risk anytime you try something new. Managers want to do what’s best to keep risks to a minimum. Their job is to ensure that employees are doing what they are supposed to do.
Leaders Sell Ideas, Managers Enforce Policies
Leaders strive to innovate. They concern themselves with doing what’s right because they are always on the cusp of innovation and their job is to convince others that their ideas are worthwhile. Managers mainly concern themselves with doing what’s best because their job is to enforce policies. They don’t have to sell an idea.
Leaders Encourage, Managers Instruct
Depending on how the manager approaches their duties, the lines between leadership and management tend to blur. Ultimately, leaders strive to do what’s right and see the big picture. They encourage employees to do the same and think outside the box. Managers generally have clear guidelines about the different workplace aspects. They may provide encouragements, but their primary job is to do what’s best for their firm and tell employees how things are supposed to be done.
Leaders Inspire, Managers Approve
Leaders are great at keeping everyone motivated. They tie everything they do back to the goals and vision of their organization. When a company has a strong vision, they use it as a key element to inspire employees. Managers on the other hand, have one primary objective: deciding whether something passes muster. They observe the actions of their subordinates and determine whether they meet the company standards.
Leaders Go Against the Grain, Managers Go with the Flow
It’s leaders’ job to try new things to see if they can be more productive and effective for their organization. Therefore, they often challenge the status quo. They work to align the policies of their company with its vision. The responsibility of managers is to maintain the status quo. So, they do what’s best to enforce the policies and guidelines set by the leaders.
Leaders Foster Ideas, Managers Assign Tasks
Leaders try new things to make improvements. They foster free thinking and new ideas because this supports their aims. Managers cannot encourage this because they would not be able to satisfy the expectation of the company. They concern themselves with doing what’s best as it helps ensure that employees will do what they are supposed to do. Assigning tasks and telling people what to do is their way to do what’s best for their organization.
Leaders Break the Rules, Managers Follow the Rules
Leaders strive to do what’s right for their company’s success. Sometimes, they play fast and loose with the rules to ensure that. Sometimes, rules become a hinderance for innovation and that’s why leaders often bend them. Managers generally concern themselves with doing what’s best for their company. They must follow the strategies that their superiors have set out, otherwise they risk losing their job. Breaking and bending the rules only weakens their position which as a result weakens the organization.
The Bottom Line on Why Leaders Concern Themselves with Doing What’s Right
As you can see, there are some key reasons why leaders concern themselves with doing what’s right and managers strive to do what’s best. However, despite this key difference, both management and leadership are crucial for company’s success. Organizations need leaders and managers to reach their full potential. There should be a balance between leadership and management. The best authority figures know when to apply management and leadership to greater and lesser degrees. We hope you enjoyed this week’s read. Please share your thoughts in the comment section below. Do you agree? Till next time!-The Black Sheep