Five months ago, one of my clients accepted a role as a Vice President of Legal Affairs. This new role was exciting for a few reasons, the biggest being it was the first time that this client would be stepping into a people leadership role. After years of managing cases, projects, and cross-collaborating with other teams, this role would be the first time that my client directly oversaw a team of three individuals and was directly responsible for their work. Exciting… and anxiety-inducing!

As I’m sure you can imagine, our next handful of sessions were spent working through several topics related to becoming a people leader, including the skills this client would need to develop, how to gain the trust of her new team members and manager, and what her authentic leadership style would be.

In one of those sessions, I asked my client: “In your opinion, what is the difference between managing and leading?” And thus… the idea for this blog was born.

These roles may seem similar on the surface, and the titles are often used interchangeably, but when you take a closer look, there are many key differences in purpose, approach, and impact. It’s why a great manager might not be a great leader, and why an exceptional leader might be a terrible manager.

It’s also why, many of the most effective leaders in organizations, have a healthy mix of both management and leadership skills, and know which situations require them to “lead” and which require them to “manage.”

If your goal is to become an effective leader who knows how, and when to motivate their team to excellence, keep reading. The intent of this blog is to not minimize the value of either role, but rather to help you self-assess which role you more closely align with, and which skills you might want to develop so that you can become an inspirational leader who can also manage the day-to-day projects and deliverables.

1 - Leaders Operate at 30,000ft; Managers are in the Weeds

Long-term planning and short-term execution are critical to the success of the organization. Traditionally, leaders are often tasked with creating strategic long-term visions and plans, while managers are responsible for executing said plans. This results in a shift in perspective.

With managers focusing on shorter-term deliverables, like meeting quarterly targets and ensuring daily tasks are completed efficiently. As the current projects often have pressing deadlines, managers are often skilled problem solvers, and are great at addressing issues as they arise, providing solutions, and adapting to changing priorities to ensure operations run smoothly.

Leaders, on the other hand, operate at a 30,000-foot level. Knowing that managers have the day-to-day taken care of, leaders can zoom out and consider the bigger picture, anticipate future challenges, and drive innovation and long-term success for the organization. This goes beyond creating strategies to meet shareholder targets; leaders embrace the human side of leadership and create strategies and opportunities for professional growth and development of the staff, who are the future of the organization.

2 – Leaders Pause; Managers Push

The role of a manager is critical to ensuring that the goals of their team are met efficiently and effectively. Further, as managers are responsible for executing plans and maintaining order within their team, their focus on streamlining tasks, processes and procedures is critical for moving projects along and achieving operational excellence.

Leaders, on the other hand, are responsible for creating goals and objectives that align with the stated goals of the broader vision and mission of the organization. They then guide their team towards a shared goal, emphasizing the "why" behind tasks and projects, and are willing to pause, and re-evaluate if a certain project or goal is no longer aligned with the broader vision.

3 - Leaders Influence; Managers Execute

Leaders are often natural influencers, and managers are often great executors. When looking at the CliftonStrengths34 assessment, I find time and time again that my clients who are natural leaders are strongest in the Influencing and Relationship Building and Strategic Thinking domains. Managers, on the other hand, are often strongest in the Executing, Strategic Thinking and Relationship Building Domains. (Listed in order of strengths.)

As a result, managers, who have often not developed the skills required to naturally inspire others, leverage the authority that their position within the organization grants them. They direct others, make decisions, enforce rules, and set expectations based on the authority that their position allows.

Leaders, on the other hand, might lack the diligence to drive projects to completion, but they have developed the skills required to influence those around them, no matter their role in an organizational hierarchy. Whether they are the CEO or a first-year staff accountant, they cultivate trust and respect through their character, energy, confidence, and the way that they support and empower their team members.

4 - Leaders Trust; Managers Protect

As Brene Brown says, “a leader is anyone who takes responsibility for finding the potential in people and processes and has the courage to develop that potential. It’s about the willingness to step up, put yourself out there, and lean into courage.”

This is crucial, because to be a true, daring leader, you must trust that your team can thrive in the face of failure. This means letting go of control and the need to protect them from failure and grant them the space and autonomy required for them to effectively do their jobs. This doesn’t mean setting them up for failure by throwing them into the deep end. Leaders will clearly communicate their vision and expectations, and then take a step back, empowering their team members to complete the work how they see fit.

Managers, on the flip side, often like maintaining control, and being “hands-on” to ensure that processes run smoothly, and goals are met. This doesn’t necessarily mean that all managers are micromanagers, but it does mean that they have a greater influence in “how” a project is completed and require frequent status updates to ensure that a project is tracking as planned, and that teams are protected from potential failure.

5 - Leaders are Vulnerable; Managers Wear Armor

Pulling another nugget from Brene Brown, “The greatest barrier to daring leadership is not fear; the greatest barrier is armor, or how we self-protect when we’re in fear.”

What I’ve found through coaching over 2,000 hours and over 100 leaders, is that daring leaders have developed the self confidence required to separate their worth from organizational or team outcomes. This level of confidence, authenticity, and courageousness allows them to put their egos aside, lean into difficult situations, admit when they made a mistake, respect and regulate their emotions, and grow. This also allows them to sit with their team and deliver hard messages in a clear, kind, and direct manner, without beating around the bush or feeling the need to “protect” the other party.

Managers, and non-daring leaders, on the other hand, tend to be a bit more guarded. The specific armored behaviors will vary by individual, but it could look like trying to avoid or control uncomfortable situations, shutting down difficult conversations, or using their power and authority to drive their agenda or intended results.

Final Thoughts

As a Certified Mindful Leadership Coach, I’ve learned that there is no “one-sized-fits-all” solution for leading teams and managing deliverables. It’s about finding the perfect mix of leadership and management skills that aligns with the culture of your team and organization.

If you’re trying to become a more effective and influential leader, I encourage you to recognize the key differences between managers and leaders, assess which skills you need to develop, and create opportunities that allow you to practice transitioning between both roles as needed to drive projects across the finish line, while also fostering a culture of growth and excellence.

And, if you’re looking for more support in assessing where you are, or developing certain skills, partnering with a coach could be a great option. To learn more, or to explore additional resources that will help you become a coaching leader, please consider subscribing to my newsletter, or connecting with me on social media: LinkedIn, Instagram, and Pinterest.