Leader versus Manager

Leader

Leadership as a general term is not related to managership. A person can be a leader by virtue of qualities in him. For example: leader of a club, class, welfare association, social organization, etc. Therefore, it is true to say that, “All managers are leaders, but all leaders are not managers.”

A leader is one who influences the behavior and work of others in group efforts towards achievement of specified goals in a given situation. On the other hand, manager can be a true manager only if he has got traits of leader in him. Manager at all levels is expected to be the leaders of work groups so that subordinates willingly carry instructions and accept their guidance. A person can be a leader by virtue of all qualities in him.

A leader refers to a person who leads others in a specific situation and is capable of heading the group towards the accomplishment of the ultimate goal by making strategies to pursue and reach the same.

A leader has a vision, who inspires people, in such a way that it becomes their vision.

Further, the leader can be any person having the potential to influence others, be it a manager of an organization, or head of the family, or a captain of a team, minister of a state, or leader in an informal group. He/She is the one who:

• Takes charge of and directs the activities of subordinates.
• Provide the group everything that is required to fulfill its maintenance and needs related to the task.
• Required at all levels to act as a representative of the organization
• Encourages the whole team to work together and supports them in accomplishing their tasks, as a guide.

Manager

A manager has to perform all five functions to achieve goals, i.e., Planning, Organizing, Staffing, Directing, and Controlling. Leadership is a part of these functions.

Managers are those individuals who are employed by the organization so as to direct and monitor the work of other employees working in the organization. They are the ones who get their work done by the employees and have the authority to hire or fire the employees.

He/She ensures that the tasks are completed within the stipulated time frame while complying with all the rules and policies of the organization and using the allocated resources.

Functions:

• Planning: The planning function encompasses setting up goals, formulation of strategies, and development of plans to coordinate the activities of the organization.
• Organizing: Organizing involves the arrangement of resources and scheduling of tasks so that activities can be performed in a sequential manner.
• Staffing: This function involves recruiting the right personnel for various positions in an organization.
• Directing: Directing involves providing direction, guidance, and supervision to the subordinates, so that they can perform the task effectively.
• Controlling: Controlling involves keeping a check on the activities performed by the employees so as to make certain that they are performed as planned, by making comparisons. And if there are any deviations then, measures should be taken to improve them.