What do you do if you're struggling to differentiate between being a leader and being a manager?

Balancing leadership and management can be challenging. I focus on inspiring and motivating my team while ensuring we meet our goals. As a leader, I set a vision and encourage innovation. As a manager, I handle day-to-day operations and problem-solving. I strive to be a role model, showing empathy and integrity, and fostering a culture of trust and collaboration. By combining strategic thinking with practical execution, I aim to guide my team to success while nurturing their growth and potential. This balance helps me lead effectively and achieve our shared objectives.

Son bastantes las diferencias entre un líder (L) y una figura de director, gerente o jefe (J) ... algunas por ej. : 1. Los (J) tienden a enfocarse más en la planificación, organización y coordinación de tareas y recursos, los (L) se centran en inspirar, motivar y desarrollar a las personas. 2. Los (J) tienen autoridad formal basada en su posición dentro de la jerarquía organizativa, pero los (L) ejercen influencia a través de su carisma, visión y capacidad para inspirar a otros. 3. Los (J) tienden a seguir procedimientos establecidos y asegurarse de que las cosas se hagan de manera eficiente, mientras que los (L) a menudo desafían el status quo, fomentan la innovación y buscan nuevas oportunidades.

Leaders focus on people, create vision, and look into the future. On the other hand, Managers focus on things, execute a plan and control.

Managing is all about having goals and as a team making sure they get hit. Completing tasks and projects on time. Its not about individuals its about getting the job done right. Leadership is more about creating a team that buy into your vision and you work with them so they improve and develop. Leadership is all about improving others around you rather than specifically about completing a project.

Leadership is more than just a role: it is a way of living and behaving. With rare exceptions, the path of the leader involves a real climb where -as we approach the summit- we reduce the day by day operations, committing all energy to training people and creating new leaders. This approach is what we have been implementing within our teams since more than 150 years of success.

It is the fundamental requirement to introspect yourself, your role whether it is more towards setting up the vision, objectives, etc or towards supporting the business in day-to-day operations.

Reflect on your responsibilities and how you interact with your team. Are you primarily concerned with organizing work, delegating tasks, and monitoring progress? That leans towards a managerial role. Alternatively, if you're more focused on inspiring others, fostering innovation, and driving change, you're likely adopting a leadership role.

It's important to distinguish which activities in your role requires you to be a leader, and which ones require you to be a manager. For example, as an engineering manager, helping the team to adopt AI tools and streamline their work requires a LEADER; while controlling quality and project managing to meet the delivery deadline requires you to be a MANAGER.

Regularly assess your leadership and management effectiveness through feedback mechanisms and self-reflection. Solicit input from team members, peers, and supervisors to gain insights into areas of strength and areas for improvement in both leadership and management domains.

Communication and accountability are the top skills to model as a leader. Give clarity on what needs doing, when, and the 'why' behind it all.

Embrace a holistic approach to skill development by recognizing the importance of both leadership and management competencies.

Cultivating relevant skills is paramount for success in leadership or management roles. For aspiring leaders, honing communication, strategic thinking, and motivational abilities is essential, whereas managers benefit from enhancing organizational, time-management, and analytical skills. Investing in skill development equips individuals to excel in their respective roles and facilitates seamless transitions between leadership and management tasks, ultimately bolstering overall performance.

Continuously reflect on your actions, decisions, and interactions with others. Pay attention to how you approach challenges, communicate with your team, and respond to feedback. Developing self-awareness can help you identify areas for growth and improvement.

Don't operate in a bubble. Ask your team for honest feedback on your leadership style. What are you doing well? Where could you improve? Their insights can be a goldmine for self-discovery and growth.

While feedback is crucial, not all feedback is created equal. Seek insights from those who understand your role and can offer constructive criticism. Beware of feedback based on personal biases or a lack of context. Actively seek out the voices of those who can provide well-rounded and objective perspectives to truly refine your leadership or management approach.

Seek feedback from trusted colleagues, mentors, or direct reports to gain insight into your strengths and weaknesses as a leader and manager. Ask specific questions like: "Do I tend to focus more on the big picture or the details?" "Do I inspire and motivate others, or do I tend to dictate and control?" "Do I empower others to make decisions, or do I micromanage?" Be open to constructive criticism and use the feedback to adjust your approach.

Being a leader doesn’t mean you stop managing, and being a manager doesn’t prevent you from leading. It’s about finding the right balance and being effective in both capacities to drive your team and organization forward. Reflect on your actions and decisions and assess if they are more about leading your team, or managing it. Depending on specific situations, you may need to switch between leadership and management. Be adaptable and recognize when each role is needed.

If your team has clearly defined goals, they are diligent, dedicated and get the work done - then there's not much to manage. The sign to look out for is if your team can take initiatives and get the desired outcomes. If not, then you need to invest time in honing and nurturing your team - make sure they have clear goals that they understand, and help them with a roadmap to achieve their goals. This is being a manager. Leadership is an ongoing process. Whether or not your team requires you to manage them, they will need guidance from their mentor (leader). Another thing to consider is that everyone on the team has different drivers of motivation. You need to adapt and give each team member exactly what they need.

Absolutely, reflecting on past experiences is indispensable for personal and professional growth. Whether we've triumphed or encountered obstacles, each situation offers valuable lessons. By examining how we navigated the roles of leader and manager in those moments, we gain profound insights into our strengths and areas for improvement. This self-awareness allows us to refine our leadership approach, tailor our strategies, and ultimately become more effective in guiding our teams toward success.

Becoming a great leader is a continuous journey. Take time to reflect on your experiences, both successes and failures. What did you learn? How can you adapt your approach moving forward? Remember, growth is the key to unlocking your full leadership potential.

Regularly reflect on your actions and decisions, and be willing to adapt your approach as needed. Consider whether your actions are more managerial or leadership-focused. Ask yourself if you're spending too much time on administrative tasks or if you're neglecting your leadership responsibilities. Be willing to pivot and adjust your approach to better align with the needs of your team and organization.

Recognize that both roles are valuable and often necessary. Leadership involves setting the vision and inspiring your team, while management focuses on maintaining operational excellence. Transitioning fluidly between these roles allows you to leverage the unique contributions of each. By balancing leadership and management, you can guide your team towards success and ensure smooth day-to-day operations. Understanding when to lead and when to manage helps you utilize your skills to their fullest potential, fostering a productive and motivated team.

Leader or manager? A tightrope walk on the edge. Vision and inspiration vs. processes and performance. Both crucial, but how to balance? Secret: it's not either/or. Be a chameleon, adapt to your team's needs. Sometimes, be the visionary, paint the future, inspire. Other times, roll up sleeves, dive into details, keep gears turning. Know when to switch hats. Read the room, sense energy, adjust. Balancing isn't about perfection. It's versatility, agility, pivoting. Embrace duality. Be the leader your team needs, manager your business demands. Delicate dance, but when mastered, takes you to new heights.

Balance your leadership and management responsibilities by recognizing that both are essential for success. In some situations, you may need to be more of a manager, while in others, you'll need to be more of a leader. Develop the flexibility to switch between these roles seamlessly. For example, you may need to manage a project's timeline and budget while also inspiring and motivating your team to achieve a shared vision.

Balancing the demands of leadership and management is essential for organizational success. Recognizing the value of both roles allows individuals to leverage their skills effectively, guiding teams toward success while maintaining operational excellence. Fluidly transitioning between leadership and management tasks ensures that teams are inspired and motivated while operations remain efficient and effective.

In my experience, we need to be very careful to separate Leadership and Management. I believe they are complementary skills, two sides of the same medal. Being able to inspire through vision and set goals (leadership) is important, but without the skills to translate these goals into daily tasks and supportive systems e.g. for follow-through (management), it doesn't lead to much success. Think about the charismatic leader who can motivate their team with big ideas, but struggles to keep things moving day-to-day. To get out of such situation, I recommend using a proven management system like MOMENTUM. This is both faster and more qualitative than 'shooting from the hip' and hoping to somehow land on a management approach that works.

Very simple ... it's how you respond/re-act to failure. No matter how great leader/manager you are, failure is inevitable. A famous quote says "victory has many fathers, defeat is orphan". Have you ever taken the responsibility of failure...? Good luck 😊

Leaders are responsible for the effectiveness of a Team/group of people and to build and develop new leaders. Managers are responsible for the performance of a process or business function

From my perspective, Leadership is more a trait, relatively stable Managing is more a skill, can be learnt Both Leaders and Managers work towards achieving what an entity aspires for, like organization or group. Its only the methods, approach, subjects that they work closely, that makes the difference.

Leaders inspire not just through words but also through actions. Demonstrating the values and behaviors you expect from your team sets a powerful example. This authenticity fosters trust and motivates others to follow your lead. Leaders who walk the walk, not just talk the talk, create a more engaged and productive work environment.