Here's how you can distinguish between a manager and a leader in a team setting.

The below resonates with me: When I talk to managers, I get the feeling they are important. When I talk to leaders, I get the feeling I am important.

Ich finde die Bezeichnung ?Führungskraft“ ungünstig, denn Menschen in Führungspositionen sollten eher Führungskraft besitzen, statt diese zu sein. Vision?re sind oftmals weniger die Manager, die eher auf die operativen Aufgaben achten, Vision?re sind Leader, die bereit sind, Themen ganz anders zu denken und Sie gestatten genügend Heterogenit?t im Team, so dass diese Themen auch eine Chance auf Umsetzung haben.

To put it simply: A manager focuses on processes, organization, and achieving specific goals, while a leader inspires, motivates, and guides team members towards a shared vision.

I agree with most opinions already stated here. However, I would like to add that in the comparison between managers and leaders, the role of managers is often undervalued. Depending on the maturity of the team, the stage of the organization, and various other factors, a manager may be exactly what is needed. Managers play a crucial role in ensuring that processes run smoothly, goals are met, and teams operate efficiently especially in environments that require stability and consistency. While leaders inspire and guide towards a vision, managers provide the structure and oversight necessary to achieve that vision. Both roles are essential and complementary, and the importance of effective management should not be underestimated.

I have worked with Team Leaders and Managers in the past. Best team leaders get the best from their team members. Best managers get the work done faster. I believe that leaders show you the long term vision and influence you with their work. But managers are someone who wants to be authoritative in their decisions just because they have a formal position within an organisation. In today's world of corporate culture people don't give a shit about authority! People want someone who can influence them, motivate them to work and get things done!

Pretty simple - “Do as I DO” and not “Do as I say”. Leaders do. If you are a manager, lead by example. You’ll find it much easier for others to submit to positional authority. Accountability needs to begin with leaders.

Influence and authority are distinct yet complementary in leadership. Leaders wield influence through trust and respect, transcending formal authority. They inspire commitment to a shared vision, like a captain earning the crew's loyalty through exemplary leadership. Managers, on the other hand, leverage authority conferred by their position to enforce rules and decisions, akin to a ship's first mate ensuring compliance with orders. For instance, a leader in a sales team might influence team members by sharing success stories and fostering a collaborative culture, while a manager ensures targets are met by enforcing sales strategies and performance metrics, utilizing their positional authority when necessary.

Los líderes suelen enfocarse en el desarrollo personal de sus empleados, fomentando su crecimiento y potencial. Los gerentes, por otro lado, se centran más en el desarrollo profesional, asegurando que los empleados tengan las habilidades y herramientas necesarias para realizar su trabajo de manera efectiva. Mientras los líderes promueven un crecimiento integral, los gerentes fortalecen las capacidades específicas para el desempe?o laboral, y ambos enfoques son esenciales y complementarios para el desarrollo equilibrado del personal en una organización.

Starting from a base of “I can achieve my current tasks” is critical. Only from there should growth and progression be a focus.

Leaders prioritize growth by nurturing individuals' talents and fostering an environment conducive to learning and development, akin to a gardener tending to a garden, nurturing each plant to reach its fullest potential. Conversely, managers concentrate on performance, ensuring tasks are completed efficiently to meet objectives, much like a coach guiding players to victory by refining their skills and tactics. For instance, a leader in a marketing team might invest in training sessions and mentorship programs to cultivate employees' creativity and innovation, while a manager ensures targets are met by analyzing performance metrics and providing constructive feedback to enhance productivity and efficiency.

The majority of people I have been working with respectively reporting to were managers, not leaders, even if they were heading a group or having a C level title. Leaders focus on team and individuals growth, as they see this as a prerequisite to individual, department, and company growth but in the end also company performance. Leaders make it their utmost task to built an innovative, inspiring environment, where people like bringing their best skills and entrepreneurial spirit to overall success. Managers are being made redundant more and more, see recent examples from Big Pharma companies.

Why is there a differentiation here? Performance can be defined as "doing what you need to do to get the results you want" and is applied to all that you choose to do. Therefore, all growth, development and learning come from performance.

I have always told staff that with empowerment comes accountability. I feel that empowering staff and sharing decisions and control are important in creating a healthy and effective team.

I agree. For example, in my department, I make it a point to let my team take center stage. I delegate responsibilities and encourage them to take ownership of their projects. While I am always available to provide guidance, I also allow them to make mistakes and learn from those experiences. Over time, I have seen them grow in confidence and capability, becoming more innovative and proactive in their roles. This approach not only fosters a strong sense of teamwork but also helps each team member develop their skills and leadership potential.

I've had great success helping managers become leaders by encouraging them to shift from being decision makers, to being tie breakers. There are times when a decision needs to be made, but most often, team members are the best situated to make the decision. When a decision can't be made, when there are conflicting perspectives and the team is stuck, that's when the team might ask the leader to put on their decision-making hat. Otherwise, the leader should act like a member of the team.

I can be better at this than I am. This is important. Empowerment is indeed a cornerstone of effective leadership. By encouraging autonomy, leaders create an environment where team members feel valued and confident to take initiative. This not only boosts engagement but also sparks innovation and creativity within the team.

In my opinion, managers can become good leaders if they are willing and able to let the team take center stage and make them flourish in their work. A leader is able to come up with all scenario's and mitigate risks if things go south. They are able to use Socrates dialogue, to help the team give insights in issues themselves and inspire to team to become better in what they do!

I actually don’t think they are in the same plane. One is what has to be done and the other is a marker of the environment in which it happens.

Leaders have to balance culture and compliance depending on their audience. Overall we want the team to grow and for their actions to naturally reflect our values and the organization’s vision but there will be moments when metrics, processes, and policies are critical in building the muscle memory needed to move to a focus on culture.

No sólo los líderes son creadores de cultura sino que también son propulsores de cambios de hábitos positivos para esta cultura. Son los que impulsan a que las cosas se hagan, respetando los valores y las formas de trabajar que llevaron a la organización hasta donde está, pero sin dejar de mirar hacia adelante.

Cultura empresarial liga-se a ideia de ambiente saudável para o desenvolvimento das atividades de forma interna. Em outras palavras, é criar uma mentalidade organizacional que prioriza a integridade, a ades?o às regras e a transparência. Quando todos compreendem a importancia disso, a empresa caminha rumo à total conformidade e confian?a. O compliance é somente parte da engrenagem de ética ligada a verifica??o da cultura, uma espécie de medidor.

"When I talk to managers, I get the feeling that they are important. When I talk to leaders, I get the feeling that I am important."

Leaders are adaptable. They are open to change and are always looking for better ways to do things. Managers value consistency. They want to ensure that processes are followed and that the team delivers consistent results.

Leaders are always looking into the future and understanding the changes that might happen. They are the first to show the path forward so they need to adapt on the fly. It is like a sail adjusting its position in accordance with the wind. Managers will prioritise the day by day of the operation. They will put procedures in place. They try to implement consistency so the operation can move smoothly. By the end of the day, a good professional know when to act as a leader and when to act as a manager. Both are crucial to growth.

Distinguishing between a manager and a leader in a team involves recognizing the adaptability of leadership to diverse individuals with varying ideas, backgrounds, experiences, and expertise. While managers focus on tasks, leaders inspire and guide the team towards a shared vision, embracing diversity and fostering an inclusive environment where every member feels valued. Leaders adapt their approach to meet unique needs, fostering growth and collaboration for achieving shared goals.

Leaders need to have a level of humility to relate to and understand the key roles of each team and their colleagues, to speak with authenticity and candour to build trust and performance.

Following points need to be considered: ? Vision vs. Execution: Leaders inspire with a vision; managers focus on execution. ? Innovation vs. Stability: Leaders drive innovation; managers maintain stability. ? Empowerment vs. Control: Leaders empower; managers control. ? People vs. Tasks: Leaders prioritize people; managers prioritize tasks. ? Long-term vs. Short-term: Leaders think long-term; managers focus on immediate goals.

You know they’re a manager if the topic of conversation is always work. Tasks being assigned, status updates, performance reviews. It’s transactional. And it’s primarily about them, because your tasks/projects, impact how they are perceived. Now a leader also needs to know how things are progressing, but they lean in with genuine curiosity about you, as a person. Actively looking for ways to support you, in whatever way is important to you at the current time.