Are you a
leader or a manager? Here’s the difference
Leaders
inspire people, while managers have people who do work for them. Here’s how to
figure out which you are, and how you can change.
If you have a management title, you may think of yourself as a
leader. However, there are some stark differences between how leaders and
managers motivate people toward common goals.
Halelly Azulay, founder and CEO of TalentGrow LLC and author
of Employee Development on a Shoestring, says the main
difference between leaders and managers is that leaders attract a following who
believe in their vision, while managers have people who do work for them
without necessarily any intrinsic buy-in to a particular vision.
A manager is someone who has climbed up the ranks as a result of
their experience in the field and fills the gap between upper management and
the technical workers on the ground. “Management is about getting things done
in the day-to-day, managing schedules, workflow, projects, and performance,”
says Azulay. Managers set short-term goals, delegate tasks, resolve issues, and
enforce policy.
Leaders, on the other hand, influence and inspire people to
action. They provide a long-term vision and goals for the organization and
rally people around those goals. “Leaders shape values and culture and role
model behaviors,” says Tammy Perkins, chief people officer and leadership
expert at Fjuri.
YOU DON’T NEED TO BE A MANAGER TO BE A LEADER
“The primary distinction between a manager and a leader is that
you don’t have to hold a management job title to be a leader, and a leader
doesn’t have to have formal power over direct reports,” says Perkins. While not
all managers are leaders, both argue managers will be more successful if they
develop their leadership skills. So, how can managers become great leaders?
PRACTICE THE LONG-TERM VIEW
Leaders have a long-term vision for the future and spend less time
focused on the day-to-day tasks and more time envisioning what lies ahead. To
practice thinking about the future, Azulay recommends reading articles or
listening to podcasts about trends in your industry. If you’re in the marketing
field, for example, learning about artificial intelligence can help you think
about changing your plans to adjust to what is coming on the horizon. “You may
even share those articles with your team and have a short discussion on them in
your meeting to help your team become more future-oriented, strategic
thinkers,” suggests Azulay.
DEVELOP YOUR EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE
In order to exert influence and motivate people, great leaders
have to be in tune with individuals around them and have a great amount of
emotional intelligence. Emotional intelligence involves having a high level of
self-awareness, self-regulation, empathy, and social skills. Practice emotional
intelligence by reflecting upon how you react to people and circumstances, pay
attention to how you are feeling, and practice responding rather than reacting
by taking a moment to pause before answering someone. These small steps can
help you hone your emotional intelligence and help you become a better leader.
BECOME A LIFELONG LEARNER
Leaders push the boundaries and frequently step outside of their
comfort zones to take risks. Committing yourself to doing something that is
outside of your subject matter expertise not only helps you to learn a new
skill but allows you to practice getting comfortable with being uncomfortable.
ASK FOR INPUT
Being an effective leader requires listening to feedback. While
managers tend to delegate tasks and focus on getting the work done, leaders
encourage others to take ownership of their own work. Instead of telling people
what to do, leaders ask for input from their team and create an engaged
workforce who feel that their input makes a difference.
BY LISA EVANS
https://www.fastcompany.com/90214412/are-you-a-leader-or-a-manager-heres-the-difference?utm_source=postup&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Fast%20Company%20Daily&position=9&partner=newsletter&campaign_date=08142018
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