Leadership and Management FAQs
What is Leadership?
Leadership refers to the ability to influence and guide others towards a common goal. It involves inspiring and motivating team members, setting a vision, and fostering a positive environment. As John Doerr says, “Leaders must get across the *why* as well as the *what*. Their people need more than milestones for motivation.”
What is Management?
Effective management ensures day-to-day actions are happening as they should in alignment with strategic goals and the organization’s mission and values. In other words, managers own getting what needs to be done, done. They are the drivers of achieving success through operational excellence — no easy feat.
What is the Difference Between Leadership and Management?
Leaders inspire people to set and achieve a vision; they help define and select crucial strategic choices along the way. A manager’s primary focus is delivering the outputs that roll up to the mission. The same person can be both leader and manager — the difference is as much a mindset than a role. Leadership is about setting direction, and management is about effectively executing plans. Both leadership and managerial skill are necessary to accomplish a company’s goals.
What Does a Good Leader do?
Effective leaders inspire people to focus, align, and commit to meaningful work. They make sure everyone understands and shares the vision. Leaders orient teams to long-term outcomes and help answer the questions: “What’s next?” and “Why?” — they’re often focused on growth.
What Does a Good Manager do?
Managers are often directly responsible for operations and guide teams to connect the strategy to the actions. They often lead planning and have to decide how best to use resources to execute a vision. Good managers make sure everything runs smoothly.
What are Key Managerial and Leadership Skills?
Key skills include effective communication, strategic thinking, empathy, decision-making, problem-solving, financial planning or management, team building, and the ability to adapt to change.
How Managers and Leaders Communicate
Leaders typically use language to inspire people; managers typically emphasize the work or actions that need to be achieved. Leaders set the vision; managers decide how to execute it. Leaders shape cultural values; managers ensure the organization is capable of creating that culture. Managers are most often directly responsible for ensuring every individual’s actions align with the company’s needs. Leaders make managers more effective when they clearly state the company’s needs and priorities.
How Do Leaders and Managers Work Together?
Leadership and management are complementary skills within organizations. Successful organizations need both strong leadership for direction and inspiration, and solid management to handle the execution and operational details. Objectives and Key Results(OKRs) help both leaders and managers drive meaningful and significant changes within their organizations.
