People often mistakenly believe that being a CEO equates to being a leader. But does being a good CEO automatically make you a good leader?
There are almost as many similarities as differences between the two. The critical distinction between leaders and managers is that leaders inspire others to believe in their vision. On the other hand, managers employ and direct individuals frequently without their buy-in.
Managerial positions are open to everyone. However, only you have the power to determine whether or not you want to be a good leader. Only a few individuals excel at both. As a company owner, you must be aware of the distinction and see it in yourself and your employees.
What’s the difference?
Managers and leaders use distinct attributes on their way to success, yet both are critical to a company’s success.
As a company owner, you want your staff on board and working toward your goal. To be successful, you must be both or employ someone who has the attribute you lack. A true leader is never afraid to disrupt.
Managers
Managers have often risen through the ranks through hard work and experience. Their goal is to make sure that everyone in the team follows the rules and processes they employ and enforce to get a predictable result.
As a result, they often see flexibility and inventiveness as a danger to achieving a goal.
Managers and leaders vary in their perspectives on success. Managers will assess how closely team members follow procedures and rules, then evaluate if this resulted in the desired outcome.
Leaders
Leaders, on the other hand, encourage their staff to be inventive. They encourage team members to take chances and push themselves to reach more significant goals.
In the quest for innovation, a leader continuously attempts to push for something new or better. They regard their team’s ingenuity and flexibility as a chance to accomplish the seemingly impossible.
A competent leader will assist the team in using these characteristics to achieve tremendous success.
Their definition of success is straightforward. Leaders assess what their people accomplish and learn. It was a success if the event inspired or improved team excellence.
Which of the two are you?
You can’t use a simple or basic exam to determine which best represents you.
Instead, you must make decisions based on your talents and vision. Consider your response to everyday circumstances as one of the simplest methods to self-assess.
What’s in a title, anyway?
What is the significance of your title? Would you rather be the company’s vice president so that everyone knows you’re in control right away? Managers often depend on their titles to legitimize their power. On the other hand, the title is less significant to a leader than the chance to innovate and win since leaders empower themselves and motivate their teams to take the required measures.
What role do you play?
What does your role entail? Is it dependent on your performance or on who and what you’re in charge of? A manager usually considers themselves to be in charge of who and what. A leader only sees what they want to achieve and how they want to get there.
What was done by whom?
Consider the worst-case situation as another method to put yourself to the CEO test.
Let’s say a project goes awry due to a blunder committed by one individual. Managers and leaders approach this problem differently when reporting it to their superiors.
Because a manager only feels accountable for what they say and do, they will see the situation as being beyond their control and that only one person is to blame for the failure.
A leader, on the other hand, accepts responsibility for the result. As a result, they accept full responsibility for their failure and see it as a learning opportunity. They regard the episode as a lesson on handling such situations in the future.
There are many other differences between the two, but these examples are excellent tools for determining which you are.
While few people are born to lead and manage, leaders are made, not born. As a result, you still have the option of becoming a great leader.
Why is it necessary to have both managers and leaders?
Managers and leaders are both necessary for a company’s success. However, they serve various purposes and follow different pathways to success.
Managers are mainly concerned with the here and now. They are looking for consistency and predictability.
On the other hand, leaders are primarily concerned with the big picture and are more forward-thinking. They want to motivate their employees to strive for greatness.
Either way, both are driven to get things done and obtain the most significant outcome possible. For a firm to succeed, the owner must first determine if they are a manager or a leader and then promptly recruit the opposite to help the company expand.
