Be a manager and a Leader

In my quest to get my MBA and better myself as a manager, I have read many articles and had many discussions on the topic of management and leadership. Is being a manager and being a leader the same role? The short answer to this is no. Basically, a manger is someone who administers, takes case of planning, manages schedules and money, takes care of training/hiring, tracks progress and much more. A leader is someone puts plans into action, sets the right direction with his own ideas, asks the tough questions, is innovative and motivates people to get the job done. The basic difference between the two in business world is that a manager is someone who you have to follow (because they are your boss) whereas a leader is someone you want to follow. One statement that is way over used is the following: “A manager does the things right, whereas a leader does the right things”.

It seems apparent that these are two different people with two different roles. In my opinion, this is typical old school thinking. There is no doubt that a great leader is a unique individual who posses many qualities that are simply part of their character. I think few people can be great leaders (I mean GREAT leaders), however, anyone can learn leadership skills. In today’s business world, managers need to be diverse and need to be more than the old school typical manager. The manager that plans, organizes and does things right is crucial in any business, but why can’t this manager lead his employees as well? Today’s manager needs to be both a manager and a leader, capable of taking care of normal management roles and capable of leading his employees into action. Managers that can think outside the box (another overused saying), that can be innovative and inspirational are the new age managers that businesses will covet. Managers need to be the person that leads his employees. Show your employees that you know what you want, be confident yet open to new ideas and tell your employees what to do (NOT HOW TO DO IT). Lead by example, and take care of your employees: reward them when they excel, help them when they fail. Today’s successful manager wears many hats (WOW, I’m full of overused clichés today), so make sure you are leading as well as managing your employees. Your employees, your company and more importantly, you will reap the rewards of your actions. You can be a leader.