In my essay, I discuss what makes a leader different from a manager. Of course, a manager can be a leader, and a leader can be a manager. However, I hope to show that not all managers are leaders.
A manager is somebody that follows the rules and does a job. The job may be “to lead” at its core, but in effect a manager is simply there to follow a set of rules and make judgments according to his or her training. A manager doesn’t have very much control over the outcome of the business day because he or she is simply following the rules that have been decided by the people who run the company. They are the ones that have decided how the manager should spend his or her day and how he or she should make their decisions.
A leader is quite able to do all of the things a manager does. However, a leader is able to see beyond the rules and regulations that were set in place by other people. The leader has his or her eyes set on a goal and will do what it takes to achieve that goal. A leader has a motivation and a drive that keeps him or her moving forwards, trying to reach goals and trying to improve.
A leader is more inclined to break the rules and/or bend the rules if it help his him or her get to his or her goal. A good leader is able to reach his or her goals (and the goals of the business/company) without bending or breaking the rules. A truly great leader will have the rules changed so that the company improves as a whole thanks to his or her efforts. A manager may complain about rules, but he or she wouldn’t do what it takes to either bend the rules or have them changed completely.
There are many qualities that a leader needs in order to be a good leader. A manager needs fewer skills, and if the company has arranged his or her working process well enough, then all a manager needs to do is follow instructions carefully. A good leader needs many skills, but a good manager simply needs to follow instructions well.
A manager can become a good leader, and it is a good place to start if a person wishes to become a leader. The reason is due to the fact that managers tend to have a little more freedom than other employees. If this freedom is used correctly, then a manager may do things that push the company and himself/herself closer to a goal (which is what a leader does). Using that freedom, a person may learn how to become a leader.
The fact that managers have goals is not the same as how leaders have goals. For example, if a manager has the goal of selling 100 units per month, then even if the manager achieves that goal, he or she is not technically a leader. A leader may be given a goal such as that of selling 100 units per month, but that will not be the leader’s true goal. His or her true goal will be to sell as many units as possible. That is where and that is how managers and leaders differ so much.
Conclusion
It is easier to become a leader if you are already a manager because of the freedom the job gives. It is clear that managers and leaders are two very different things, and it seems obvious at this point that being a leader is far more difficult than being a manager. Management may take a certain level of leadership, but it is mostly the following of rules and guidelines, and that alone doesn’t make a manager a leader.
