Why 99% of managers are not leaders…

Managers are leaders or managers can never be leaders – these are the two perceptions of people which are often discussed, debated and yet leads to no conclusion.

To understand this better let’s first look at the approach they follow.

Managers are supposed to ‘manage’ their subordinates. Hence they tend to be authoritarian; however subordinates follow orders because they believe they will be rewarded for the same in the form of an appraisal. The main agenda of managers tends to center around getting things done. But managers can become leaders too if they tend to be an inspiration for their subordinates and look for the bigger picture instead of focusing on the smaller tasks.

Leaders, however, have different vision and possess more charismatic personality. They don’t just ‘manage’ their subordinates but they look after the company’s broader goals. Their leadership skills stands out in crowd. Leaders are also good with people who work for them but they do not get carried away with their personal relationship with colleagues  – they do maintain their distances.

On one side where leaders focus on achieving targets, on the other side they know the importance of motivating the team and being a team leader, which is important in achieving the vision of the company they work for.

The difference between managers and leaders is of their perspectives and their conceptions. Managers usually tend to “stick to the rules” to solve a problem quickly. They tend to seek stability and control. This is where leaders apply different techniques: they tend to tackle an issue with deeper understanding before making any decision.

Following is the tabulated difference between leaders and manager