MANAGEMENT / LEADERSHIP SPECIAL... MANAGER VERSUS LEADER

MANAGER VERSUS LEADER 

THOUGH THE DIFFERENCES MAY SEEM MINUSCULE, A MANAGER AND LEADER ARE TWO VERY DIFFERENT PEOPLE.YET, WHY IS THERE IMMENSE CONFUSION BETWEEN THESE TWO ROLES?

    What is the chief difference between a leader and manager? Deepak Kaistha, CEO, PowerBrands answers, “A manager tends to do things in the right way and a leader tends to do the right thing. Managers think incrementally; leaders think radically. A leader possesses the power to inspire, design and develop effective strategies that build a community and cultivate a culture that helps employees grow. A manager, on the other hand, follows a certain set of rules and principles to achieve the goals of an organisation.”
    Rakesh Singh, VP and GM, Citrix India tells us why we should consider these differences, “Understanding the difference between a good manager and leader will help in defining their roles and responsibilities. Some of the reasons to consider:
    Leaders are entrusted with difficult assignments that are filled with uncertainties whereas the manager typically gets to work on routine business assignments;
    Managerial work involves repetition while the leader focuses on innovation;
    Managers tend to be risk-averse whereas leaders are generally risktakers.”
    One cannot be a good manager without having leadership qualities. Divakar Kaza, president - HR, Lupin Ltd elaborates, “Employees follow the manager because they are obligated by the organisational structure. On the other hand, they will follow a leader because they are inspired and motivated by their leader.”
    A fundamental distinction between a leader and manager is that the former innovates whereas the latter administers. Samit Mitra, senior vice president, Su-Kam Power Systems Ltd, explains, “A leader understands that mere administration of the task at hand does not reap positive and progressive results. What is required is a thought flow marked with innovation that gives impetus to the quality of work at hand. On the other hand, a manager who does not possess leadership qualities is primarily interested in acting as an administrator.”
    Thus, an individual should ideally be able to don the mantle of a leader or manager as the situation demands.

PALAK BHATIA

TAS130501