As the popular saying goes: “Managers have subordinates, leaders have followers”. The differences between a leader and manager are simple. Leaders inspire, guide and influence their followers towards achieving a set of goals. Leaders set the broad direction of an organisation or a group of people. A manager, on the other hand, is responsible for making things happen the way they should within a team or organisation. A leader can operate within an informal grouping without an official title, while a manager is a recognised position that operates in formal settings like businesses and organisations.
What is a leader?
Leadership has nothing to do with titles. Anyone who has leadership skills can influence others to follow a common goal. Many believe that leaders are born, not made, but there is practical evidence showing that with a lot of hard work and dedication, the skill of leadership can be developed.
There are loads of books, seminars and diplomas dedicated to the quest of becoming an effective leader. This is understandable – the performance of an organisation and its employees is a direct reflection of its leadership.
There are a number of fundamental principles underpinning the skills of good leadership:
- Great leadership is about your actions, not your title. Anyone defined as a good leader shares their vision, influences and guides their team, and inspires commitment.
- Communication is key to effective leadership. The basis of good communication is keeping the channel open both ways. It’s crucial that you are not only able to engage and influence your team but have the ability to listen. Your team members want to be heard, and to feel understood. While effective leaders do not have to agree, they do have to hear and acknowledge what their people are saying.
- A good leader uses team building to create unity, collaboration and trust. Promoting a “dog eat dog” environment, where members of a team compete rather than come together for the good of the organisation, impacts negatively on productivity.
- Good leaders admit when things have gone wrong. There is no shame in admitting when you’ve made a mistake. Some of the best leaders are those who are willing to be honest and open about mistakes – these are the leaders who will win the trust of their team and colleagues. It’s the way the mistakes are handled that is central – keep learning and growing from experiences and your leadership skills will flourish.
- A great leader thinks outside the box. Great leadership means the ability to innovate, to see the bigger picture, and to motivate your team to work toward a common vision. Your team needs to know that you are getting ready for the future and taking them along for the journey.
What is a manager?
Management means implementing the strategic vision of an organisation through planning, directing and coordinating the day-to-day functions of a team. A manager is often tasked with making practical decisions that give effect to long-term goals. Effective managers are able to make the necessary decisions and support their team in order to improve and maintain the performance of their organisation.
As with leaders, there are a number of key characteristics to being an effective manager.
- Excellent communication skills. A great deal of a manager’s job involves communicating. This includes delegating tasks clearly, managing conflict in the workplace, and building relationships between you and your team, as well as between team members.
- Trust. A good manager trusts that team members are both capable and willing to do their work, and therefore chooses to delegate rather than micromanage. Micromanagement – looking over someone’s shoulder every step of the way – sends the message that the manager thinks their subordinate is unable to do the job on their own. This can lead to feelings of resentment, insecurity and unhappiness which will have an impact on the team and therefore on the overall goal. Trusting your team will help them reach their true potential.
- Clarity. A good manager is able to define goals, both short and long term, for their team. In order to perform efficiently and effectively team members need to know what they are doing and why, and what it means for the organisation. Without clarity of vision, it is difficult to be productive and to know how to prioritise tasks.
- The ability to make decisions. A good manager takes immediate responsibility for any problems that arise in the workplace and is therefore in a position to tackle and then resolve those problems timeously and efficiently. Failure to make decisions can lead to a weak team that has no confidence in its manager.
The Independent Institute of Education’s (The IIE’s ) Varsity College has a large variety of IIE qualifications to equip students with the skills need to build a career for the future, including the IIE Bachelor of Commerce Honours in Management and the IIE Postgraduate Diploma in Management. The IIE strives to ensure that all students are employable, have a broad range of analytical skills, including work readiness skills, to be innovative, entrepreneurial and creative. Varsity College offers a way for students to learn, study and qualify to kickstart their chosen careers.
At The IIE’s Varsity College we understand that no two students are the same or learn the same. That’s why we make sure a student’s education is shaped around them; how they like to learn, what they are passionate about, what makes them tick, and what makes them thrive. Our education by design approach allows students to grow into their best, and creates a space where they can live, learn and play - their way.