I have heard things from people saying managers are bad.
They don’t know how to be a leader and always just tell people what to do.
There is often a negative connotation when it comes to the word “manager”, but not
the word “leader”.
Is one really better than the other?
Hey everyone, it’s Your unlocked potential, here with another Sunday video.
Today, we’re going to talk about the difference between a manager and a leader.
Please know that these roles do not only apply to corporate or organizational culture, but
also for your daily lives.
So be sure to watch to the end for those examples!
Let’s go!
[Intro Music]
The first thing to know is that being a manager
and a leader are two exclusive, separate qualities.
A good manager may not necessarily a good leader.
And a good leader may not necessarily a good manager.
But someone can be both a good manager and a good leader.
Or in the worst case, a bad manager and a bad leader.
Let’s talk about managers first.
The goal of the manager is to be responsible, to align, and to maintain.
I like to go by the acronym RAM.
Managers do not challenge the status quo.
They want to get the work done right.
That means they have to tell their workers to do things a certain way to achieve the
best result.
Managers are often responsible for the things they do and the things they are team members do.
If the team members are not on track, it is the responsibility of a manager to align their
team members to get back on track.
And because managers are focused on getting things done,
they are often direct and considered impersonal.
And this is why most people don’t like managers.
However, the reason managers are often direct is because time is often of the essence.
Any additional instructions or ambiguity can cause confusion and conflict within the work
the team is trying to perform.
Managers are problem solvers.
They are problem solvers because they want to maintain operations or ongoing matters
to reach everyone’s goals as smoothly as possible.
Being a parent is an example of being a manager.
In your daily life, you need to tell your kids what to do, and they need to do it.
Many times, you need to tell your kids to go to bed early because they need to wake
up for school the next day; or wash dishes because it teaches them discipline.
The kids might not like it, but at the end of the day it’s for their own benefit and
everyone else’s.
They usually need to problem solve for any kind of challenges brought to them by the kids.
Parents are essentially managers because they need to ensure the lives of their kids turn
out as smooth as possible.
Another quick example of being a manager is to maintain the cleanliness of your house.
This is so that you can stay on track to have a healthy and organized space to live.
Now let’s talk about leaders.
The goal of the leader is to aspire, to innovate, and motivate.
I like to go by the acronym AIM.
Leaders challenge the status quo.
While managers want to get the work done right, leaders want to do the right work.
What does this mean?
A leader should tell their team members what are the right approaches, but they should
be aware they don’t have all the answers.
They also listen to other people for inputs.
Leaders are visionaries, and they will tell their followers to do the
right thing even if it is not what everyone else is doing.
A good leader can see the end goal of the mission and try to reach a result that is
best for everyone.
They are usually honest and have high integrity.
Leaders are inspiring because they also believe that everyone has their own potential and
their own uniqueness.
They treat others as equals and can see that other people can be leaders as well.
Because of this, a leader is often very good at communicating their ideas.
Lastly, as a leader, you have the ability to challenge and do things differently, they
do not conform to systematic thinking.
Being a parent is also an example of being a leader.
They need to listen and understand where their kids are coming from.
They need to lead by example, and carve out the path their kids have yet to travel.
Research has shown that children observe and mimic their parent’s behaviour during the
entirety of their childhood, and so it is very important that parents are good leaders.
Parents should understand that their kids can be leaders as well, and they have their
own dreams.
Lastly, a parent would motivate their children and support them every step of the way, because
it is in their vision that they are children unlock their potential and turn out to be
the best person they can be.
Another example is to take the initiative to do things you have never done before to
make yourself a better person.
This may be going to another country to learn a new culture or language, or challenge yourself
in taking up a new sport.
Essentially, the main difference is that a manager has people working for them and the
leader has people following them.
Now, the problem isn’t that you can’t be a good leader or a good manager.
The problem most people have is being both a good leader AND a good manager.
And this is understandable, because being good at both is very hard.
It really depends on the situation.
Often, we are so focused on being a good manager, as sometimes we may forget to be a good leader.
Using the same example of parenting, we often tell our kids what to do, but we forget to
listen to our kids who also have their dreams and aspirations.
Many parents want their kids to be lawyer, doctor, engineers, or whatever, that they
don’t see what other things their kids can be good at.
We sometimes may also be a good leader, and forget to be a good manager.
This may be the case when we let our kids to what they want, but don’t align or discipline
them enough so they stay on the right track.
There is a fine balance between the two.
This is why being both a good leader and a good manager at the same time can be difficult.
However, by knowing the difference between the two in striving for balance - we are one
step closer to being a good leader AND a good manager.
Being a parent is just one example.
There are many other examples where we manage our lives and lead our lives towards our dreams
and aspirations.
With that, I want to ask you the question.
Are you a good leader, or a good manager?
What will you do to improve?
Don’t forget to like and subscribe for more organizational psychology and self-improvement videos.
I wish you all the best and good luck on your journey to be a good manager and a good leader.
Keep on improving and keep on learning.
I will see you all next Sunday.
Cheers!
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