Leaders Inspire. Managers Perspire.
Which One Are You?

Contributed by Elaine Landau

Strong leaders and good managers are vital to any successful organization, but how are they different?

Consider the role of THE MANAGER.
Keep in mind, to stay employed managers must carry out the wishes of upper management. To ensure the company’s success and to reach management goals, managers may need to ask employees to perform tasks they dislike, put in overtime hours, or meet impossible deadlines. The manager’s job is to use the company manpower most effectively to achieve company goals, which can be a very unpopular position to be in. Of course, any manager can openly criticize upper management. That may make the employees feel as though the manager is on “their side” but the employer always has the option to terminate that manager.

Consider the role of THE LEADER.
A leader is someone who wears his/her heart on his/her sleeve. They inspire undying loyalty from their followers because the leader is willing to put everything on the line. A leader’s loyalty is profound. A leader’s dedication is tireless. A leader’s decisions… could be very questionable. Some leaders think more with the heart than the business plan. Going out in a blaze of glory is a great ending to a Hollywood movie, but it doesn’t sit well with stockholders.

Take this easy unofficial quiz to determine whether you are a leader or a manager.

1. Your team must complete a task within 48 hours. Since time is tight, you…
   • Assign each employee a different task without explaining the overall project. You feel they only need to know what they are required to do and you don’t need to explain yourself to your staff.
   • You gather your team to explain the project and the tight deadline. You work with the team to accomplish the task.
   • You explain the overall project to your team, assign members to a specific task, and work with them to meet the tight deadline. When the task is complete, everyone receives well-deserved praise.

2. One of your employees is disagreeable and very disliked by the rest of the team. You…
   • Don’t worry about the feelings of the other team members. We are all professionals and need to get along.
   • Assign a singular task to the problem employee that taps into his/her strengths and minimizes interaction with other employees.
   • You fire the problem employee and blame the boss for hiring him/her in the first place.

3. One member of your team is putting in many hours of overtime. You…
   • Give her a raise and tell the other employees that they should put in just as many hours if they want a raise.
   • Investigate why that employee is putting in so many hours. Perhaps there is a problem.
   • Pretend you don’t notice the overtime hours so the employee can’t ask for more money.

Chances are you wanted to answer each question with more than one answer or none of the answers. That is because we, as people, want to walk the walk, talk the talk, stay employed, and be respected. So how can you lead and manage at the same time?

1. Don’t be afraid to inspire loyalty from your team. You may not be able to reverse bad policies made by upper management, but you can promote camaraderie within your team with pizza parties at lunchtime, after-hours volleyball matches, or lending manpower to charitable efforts.
2. Don’t spend any time being negative about the company. As a manager, your employees see you as part of the company. That kind of mixed message doesn’t benefit anyone.
3. Encourage employees to strive to meet company goals and reach their individual goals. For example, if a supervisor feels that his/her presentations are weak, encourage them to take an online advanced PowerPoint® tutorial. With increased knowledge, the supervisor will become a more confident presenter. Both the company and employee benefit. If an older employee needs basic computer education, a good manager will work with that employee to find an effective computer class online. A designer who is out of step with current computer applications could benefit from an Adobe Photoshop online tutorial.

By inspiring employees to be the best they can be, mutual loyalty grows and good managers become strong leaders. By keeping an eye on the company goals and striving to be the very best, strong leaders can become better managers. Loyalty, integrity, honesty, a strong work ethic, and a willingness to learn are qualities that great leaders and effective managers share. They can learn from each other, and the rest of us can learn from them.

By the way, if you answered a, c, c, I think I worked for you a few years ago. Now you know why I don’t work there anymore.

PowerPoint is a registered trademark of the Microsoft Corporation in the U.S. and/or other countries.

About the Author:
Elaine Landau is a freelance writer, publicist, web site editor, and television writer with more than 15 years of experience in marketing, advertising, and publicity.

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