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Difference Between Leader and Manager

Introduction

A manager serves as a vital connection between the company and its many stakeholders, such as workers, customers, suppliers, shareholders, the government, society, and so on. He's the one in charge of the fundamentals of management.

A leader, on the other hand, is someone who motivates, encourages, and convinces his troops to work freely toward the organization's goals. Although the two are not synonymous, a great manager can only succeed if he or she is also an effective leader.

What you need to know in this context is that leadership is a talent, and the person who has it is known as a Leader. Management, on the other hand, is a discipline, and the person who practises it is known as a Manager.

Leader's Definition

A leader is someone who leads people in a situation and is capable of steering the group toward the achievement of the ultimate objective by devising tactics to seek and achieve it.

A leader has a vision, and he or she encourages others to share that vision.

Furthermore, a leader may be any individual with the ability to influence others, such as an organization's manager, a family's head, a team captain, a state's minister, or a leader in an informal group.

Manager's Definition

Managers are those who are hired by a company to direct and supervise the work of other personnel. They are the ones who have the power to recruit and dismiss workers as well as have their task done by the employees.

He or she ensures that assignments are performed within the allotted time limit while adhering to the organization's rules and standards and utilising the resources available.

Comparison Table Between Leader and Manager

Leader Manager
  • A leader is someone who leads a group of people and motivates them to perform effectively and reach a common objective.
  • A manager is someone who plans, directs, coordinates, and controls the activities of an organisation or a project.
  • As they generate vision and identify a path ahead to reach the objective, leaders' processes are transformative.
  • Managers' processes are transactional in nature, as they distribute work and accomplish goals.
  • As a result, a leader is continually concerned about his or her team.
  • As a result, a manager is in charge of a group.
  • A leader has a strategic perspective, manages a team, is open-minded, and encourages creativity.
  • A manager demonstrates organisational, management, problem-solving, and conformance abilities.
  • Leaders cultivate spheres of influence and lead by example.
  • Managers establish power circles and exercise authority.
  • They are primarily responsible for shaping the culture and promoting honesty.
  • They mostly sustain the current quo through enacting the prevailing culture.
  • The role of the leader is primarily to establish the course towards achieving a goal.
  • Managers mostly provide guidance on how to complete a project.

Conclusion

'A manager is usually a leader, but vice versa is not true,' as the saying goes. Do you have any idea why? A manager may also play the position of a leader in an organisation by influencing and inspiring others who work for him, but not all leaders are managers, since there are those who head informal groupings such as our buddy circle, dancing group, and so on.

As a result, we may call a person heading an informal organisation as a "leader," since such groupings do not have a manager.



About the author:
Adarsh Kumar Singh is a technology writer with a passion for coding and programming. With years of experience in the technical field, he has established a reputation as a knowledgeable and insightful writer on a range of technical topics.