Leadership and management are two very different concepts. For any business to be successful, it will need to have both leaders and managers throughout the organization. Getting the right type in the right position can make a real difference in how a company operates and how successful it is.
Leaders vs. Managers
First, it is important to learn the differences between leaders and managers. Remember that these are styles and not titles and are found at all levels of the company, from the very top to the bottom.
Leaders are people who have an overall vision of the goals of the company and a basic idea of how they want to achieve those goals. Leaders inspire and motivate others to come together for the common good. They are also able to bring out the best from all those around them. They tend not to be experts in every aspect of the business, but they can quickly and effectively identify those around them who are best suited for a particular task. They give others plenty of leeway to get things done their own way so long as progress is being made toward the overall goal. Dwight D. Eisenhower was a classic example of a great leader. He did an excellent job of setting the overall goals for the D-Day invasion and made sure that all his available talent was employed where it could be most impactful.
Managers differ from leaders in that they prefer to be involved in almost every aspect of a business, from the initial setting of goals down to the most mundane task. Managers make sure that things are getting done and done in a certain way. They tend not to be personally magnetic or inspiring and simply expect everyone to be self-motivated to achieve their goals. There is a negative connotation to managers—they are often viewed as meddling and stifling. Nevertheless, managers are responsible for ensuring that projects move forward and everyone remains on the same page about each step of the process.
Former Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara was a manager during the Vietnam War. His obsession with trying to control every detail of the war operation prevented others lower down the command chain from examining other options in the conduct of the war. McNamara’s Department of Defense was efficiently run but unable to react creatively to quickly changing situations.
Why Both Leaders and Managers Are Necessary
At first glance, it would appear that businesses would be better off being run only by leaders. Managers seem to stifle creativity and create a less motivated workforce. This is not the whole story, however. Leaders and managers both have their value in any organization. Trying to strike the proper balance between the two types is the difficult part.
In some ways, leaders and managers can be said to represent chaos and order. Leaders have a very loose style that encourages individuality and stimulates the creative impulses of the rest of the organization. Some people will thrive under a leader, especially those who like to think outside the box. Leaders are great for getting the less motivated members of a workforce to be more engaged in their work. They will tolerate delays and are uninterested in enforcing the formal structure of the business. It is more important for leaders to create a great environment for work and let their colleagues handle the details.
Managers are much more interested in keeping everything within some form of structure and setting parameters for success. They make sure that every part of the business is running according to the proper procedure and take time to examine even the smallest details. Managers always try to keep projects on time and moving forward, even at the expense of looking into promising alternatives.
Due to different personality types, employees will vary in how they respond to these management styles. Some need constant supervision to excel, while others work best on their own. Creativity flourishes under leaders, but too much emphasis on thinking about solutions and too little time implementing them results in failure, as surely as does focusing on every little detail and trying to control every step of the process.
Leaders and managers have their roles to play at every level of a company. With the recent trends toward more diversity and the creation and maintenance of company culture, it would seem that leaders are going to be more beneficial to most companies in the future. Leaders tend to be more inclusive in general and make allowances for diversity in their workplace than managers, but managers are still necessary to make sure that the business of the company gets done. Additionally, structure can be a good way to make sure that diversity and inclusion measures are achieved. If everyone is subject to the same working conditions, then there is less bias, and all workers will feel more comfortable in their jobs.