by Olufemi Oyedele

Created on: March 18, 2009

Management is the planning, coordinating, directing, supervising and organising resources (human, material and financial), while leadership is the guidance and encouragement to manage. Managers manage, but leaders lead. Managerial abilities and leadership skills are needed by managers and leaders in diffrent proportion to direct and lead others. A manager has more managerial abilities than leadership skills, and a leader has more leadership skills than managerial abilities. None of them is an island on his or her own. Some people believe a manager is the same as a leader because they perform the same tasks. There is a remarkable difference in how they achieve results.

The following similarities and distinctions will show what a leader and a manager are:

Similarities

Authority: Managers and leaders have authorities over their teams. Both managers and leaders are bosses in their own right.

Team head: A manager and a manager are both team heads. They coordinate teams to achieve results.

Objective/Goals: A manager and a leader have objectives and goals to achieve through people. They are both expected to achieve results.

Resources: Management and leadership requires resources (man, time, money and materials) to accomplish their objectives and goals.

Use of Strategy: Both managers and leaders use strategy, action, style or ploy to achieve results.

Negotiation: Both manager and leader negotiate in order to carryout their duties.

Conflict resolution: Disagreements do occur in a manager's and leader's teams and both do settle disagreements and conflicts amicably.

Distinctions

A manager supervises his team to achieve the set objectives, while a leader inspires his team to achieve results.

A manager has mission to accomplish, a leader has vision to see through.

A manager work on people to achieve results, a leader work with people to achieve results.

A manager's aim is to bring out the best results, but a leader's aim is to bring out the best in people.

A managers carries out organisation's directives, a leader formulates organisation's directives.

A manager supervises people for his purpose, a leader guides people for their purposes.

A manager penalises for mistakes done, a leader reviews and correct mistakes.

A manger gives out instruction to his team members on how to do a task, a leader listens to his team members on how they think a task can be done.

A manager directs staff meetings, a leader guides staff in meetings.

A manager controls respect, a leader deserves respect.

A manager

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