By Dr. Jill Fuson
Faculty Director, School of Business at American Public University
Are you a leader or a manager? Is there a difference between leadership and management? Definitely! People follow leaders while people work for managers.
Is a good manager automatically considered a good leader? Not necessarily because managers and leaders have very different qualities.
Anatomy of a Leader
Strong leaders inspire their employees to believe in the vision and develop good work habits to achieve the goals of the organization. Strong managers administer work tasks allowing employees to be successful in accomplishing goals. If employees are included and benefit from the accomplishments, they will perform their job duties to the best of their ability. By aligning the vision and goals with employees’ perceptions and work ethics, success can be achieved by all.
Some common traits of a strong leader are ambitious, honest, creative, team builder, committed, risk taker, and future oriented. A leader must also have confidence to make informed decisions that steer an organization to satisfied customers/clients.
Leaders must have the ability to excite and inspire their teams by modeling these characteristics. Building a strong, experienced and talented leadership staff will allow the organization to move in the right direction and remain profitable.
Manager Skills
Strong managers are able to execute the vision while accomplishing goals. They are abe to direct employees in a positive and motivational way while being employee-focused, involving them in decision-making and listening to their concerns/ideas.
Managers instill the team concept within the organization by challenging employees and empowering them to make decisions that help meet goals. A manager who shows commitment by being involved will inspire employees to be committed and dedicated to their goals.
The Value of Managers and Leaders
Whether you are a leader or a manager, excitement and enthusiasm are contagious and cause employees to follow. Recognizing efforts of employees reinforces positive and continued successes. Knowing one cannot run a business alone, leaders and managers must be good delegators and tap the talents and abilities of their workforce.
[Related: The Need to Have Effective Managers and Leaders in Non-Profit Organizations]
Knowledge is power, so it is vital for leaders and mangers to be well-educated about their industry, their communities, their products and services, and organizational norms. Such knowledge, accompanied by the ability to change a policy/tradition that is no longer beneficial or is outdated, is key.
About the Author
Dr. Jill Fuson, Faculty Director for the School of Business, has been with APU for 6 years. She has a Ph.D. from Capella University, a master’s degree from Webster University, and an undergraduate degree from University of Maryland, European Division. She currently teaches graduate Human Resource courses.
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