Leaders and managers have critical roles in any organization. A good manager is not necessarily an excellent leader. There is a distinction between leading and managing individuals in a corporate setup.
The distinction between a Leader and a Manager
Several factors differentiate a leader from a manager. First, a leader is capable of influencing other people to achieve particular organization goals while a manager plans, directs, and coordinates the achievement of the goals. A leader will inspire others to achieve the objectives of an organization, but a manager uses control and power to ensure the targets are met. Secondly, a leader focuses on the growth of other individuals in the organization to ensure that the long term goals of the corporate are achieved. A manager, however, focuses on the achievement of the required results and often manages the tasks at hand. Managers are more concerned about numbers, unlike leaders who are more concerned with the growth of others. Lastly, leaders are more effective in the realization of the organization goals while managers are efficient. In the long run, effectiveness supersedes efficiency in that effective leadership guarantees continued attainment of the organization's objective even in the absence of the leader. A leader trains others to become leaders and allow them a level of independence, which makes them more effective in the execution of their duties.
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Qualities of a leader and a manager
The corporate world has seen several leaders and managers with different desirable traits. Bill Gates, the founder of Microsoft, is one of the most admired leaders in the corporate world. His leadership qualities have ensured the continued success of the company. Gates has several attributes that make him a unique and successful leader. First, he is a caring individual. He is a philanthropist who cares about the welfare of the less fortunate individuals in the world. This caring attitude also governed his behavior at the workplace, which made him ensure that the employees were empowered to achieve success. He is also trustworthy and sociable, which makes him an approachable leader by the subordinates. This enables him to inspire others and influence them to improve themselves and also achieve the company goals. On the other hand, Steve Jobs, the founder of Apple Inc., exhibited great management qualities. He was more of a manager than a leader though he achieved significant success as the company CEO. During his tenure, Jobs showed one critical quality that all managers should have time consciousness. He would often push employees to their limits and he believed that time is the most precious commodity that should never be misused.
How I would be a good leader and manager
I believe I would be an excellent leader and manager if given a chance to lead an organization. This is because I have leadership qualities that would enable me to inspire others towards the realization of the organization objectives. For instance, I am a visionary individual; hence, I look at the big picture of achieving the long term goals of an organization. This would enable me to inspire my team to work towards the realization of these goals by setting short term realistic goals. My integrity and trustworthiness would encourage my team members to believe in my vision and own, which would ensure the ultimate success of the team and the organization at large. I would also be an excellent manager in that I believe in setting timely goals, which means my team should be aware that we should work within a specific time limit to achieve the set goals.
