What’s the difference between a Leader and a Manager?
I get asked this question a lot when I do seminars and workshops. And even when I do 1-to-1 consulting. It’s a great question because this can be a confusing distinction between the two roles.
To me, a Leader has a vision and they share that vision with others as they try to move the company where they see it should be, so they end up where they want to go.
A Manager is busy getting the day to day stuff handled so the Leader can focus on the direction and the vision.
Leaders and Managers are both critical to the long-term success of any business.
But, there’s an issue that tends to pop up a lot when I work with clients. That issue is where there are Leaders and Managers and they are not sharing the same vision and they’re busy plotting separate courses for the company. It would be akin to have a car barreling down the highway with four people wrestling to grab the steering wheel and drive. Nothing good is going to happen in this scenario.