Understanding the Difference Between a Manager and a Leader: Can You Help Clarify?

Dear all,

I am confused about the roles and responsibilities of a Manager and a Leader. How can we differentiate between them? Can anyone help me with this?

Regards,
Sulab

Let us know the context at which you are looking at. There are huge differences between a leader and a manager; they are behavioral in nature. All leaders are good managers, but all managers are not leaders.

Regards,
Sathiya

Dear Sathiya,

I agree with you that leaders can be managers. What I want to understand is that in the organizational pyramid, we keep leaders on the top and managers next to them. Now, the question is, if a leader is not a good manager, then the organization will be fully controlled by any of the able managers. Especially in the social sector, where we have organizational leaders who are mostly sons of the soil, they may have a hold on the community and the issues but lack skills in managerial aspects. With growing turnovers in this sector from an OD perspective, how should one control this phenomenon?

As a result, most of the time, the manager runs the show in the organization rather than the leader.

Regards,
Sulab

I agree with you that leaders can be managers. What I want to understand is that in the organizational pyramid, we keep leaders on the top and managers next to them. Now, the question is if a leader is not a good manager, then the organization will be fully controlled by any of the able managers. Especially in the social sector where we have organizational leaders who are mostly sons of the soil, they may have a hold on the community and the issues but lack skills in managerial aspects. With growing turnovers in this sector from an OD perspective, how should one control this phenomenon?

As a result, most of the time, the manager runs the show in the organization rather than the leader.

Regards,
Sulab

PPT is awesome. I had seen this PPT before, and it clears most of the doubts about the role of a manager as well as a leader. The good thing about this PPT is that the difference between both is well defined in an attractive way. I should thank you for it.

Hi msmkhana, with respect, it's not necessary to be "qualified" from "business schools" to be a good manager. It's a quality that develops over time and can be inherent from school days as well. For instance, Dhirubhai Ambani never went to a business school to become qualified as a manager, yet the world knows about his managing skills and ability. There are many more like him out there.

So, it's basically an inherent quality that only gets polished and fine-tuned through formal education.

Thanks!
Smile:)