Leader vs. Manager

Main Difference

The main difference between Leader and Manager is that the Leader is a supporting role that influences to achieve a goal, whereas the Manager is a person who manages an entire company or organization.

Leader vs. Manager — Is There a Difference?
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Difference Between Leader and Manager

Leader vs. Manager

A person becomes a leader by his personal qualities on the flip side; a person becomes a manager based on his position.

Leader vs. Manager

A leader is a person who comes up with a vision; conversely, a manager is a person who has a specified goal.

Leader vs. Manager

A leader is not accountable before a specific person or organization, while a manager is accountable before the organization or team he is working for.

Leader vs. Manager

Leaders look at the bigger picture, while the thoughts and tasks of managers are confined to a limited area.

Leader vs. Manager

A leader is always a person who favors change on the other side manager is opposite; he focuses on the status quo and maintains it.

Leader vs. Manager

A leader is known for taking risks; inversely, a manager does not take risks.

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Leader vs. Manager

Leaders are ‘people focused’ on the converse managers are ‘process focused.’

Leadernoun

any person that leads or directs

Managernoun

(management) A person whose job is to manage something, such as a business, a restaurant, or a sports team.

Leadernoun

one who goes first

Follow the leader.

Managernoun

(baseball) The head coach.

Leadernoun

one having authority to direct

We elected her team leader.
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Managernoun

(music) An administrator, for a singer or group. en

Leadernoun

one who leads a political party or group of elected party members; sometimes used in titles

Leader of the House of CommonsSenate Majority Leader

Managernoun

(computer software) A window or application whose purpose is to give the user the control over some aspect of the system.

a file manager; a task manager; Program Manager

Leadernoun

a person or organization that leads in a certain field in terms of excellence, success, etc.

The company is the leader in home remodeling in the county.

Managernoun

someone who controls resources and expenditures

Leadernoun

(music) a performer who leads a band, choir, or a section of an orchestra

Managernoun

(sports) someone in charge of training an athlete or a team

Leadernoun

the first violin in a symphony orchestra; the concertmaster

Leadernoun

an animal that leads

Leadernoun

the dominant animal in a pack of animals, such as wolves or lions

Leadernoun

an animal placed in advance of others, especially on a team of horse, oxen, or dogs

Leadernoun

someone or something that leads or conducts

Leadernoun

(botany) a fast-growing terminal shoot of a woody plant

Leadernoun

a pipe for conducting rain water from a roof to a cistern or to the ground

Leadernoun

(UK) the first, or the principal, editorial article in a newspaper; a leading or main editorial article; a lead story

Leadernoun

(fishing) a section of line between the main fishing line and the snell of a hook, intended to be more resistant to bites and harder for a fish to detect than the main fishing line

Leadernoun

a piece of material at the beginning or end of a reel or roll to allow the material to be threaded or fed onto something, as a reel of film onto a projector or a roll of paper onto a rotary printing press

Leadernoun

(marketing) a loss leader or a popular product sold at a normal price

Leadernoun

(printing) a type having a dot or short row of dots upon its face

Leadernoun

a row of dots, periods, or hyphens, used in tables of contents, etc., to lead the eye across a space to the right word or number

Leadernoun

(fishing) a net for leading fish into a pound, weir, etc.

Leadernoun

(mining) a branch or small vein, not important in itself, but indicating the proximity of a better one

Leadernoun

(nautical) a block of hard wood pierced with suitable holes for leading ropes in their proper places

Leadernoun

(engineering) the drive wheel in any kind of machinery

Leadernoun

(meteorology) the path taken by electrons from a cloud to ground level, determining the shape of a bolt of lightning

Leadernoun

a person who rules or guides or inspires others

Leadernoun

a featured article of merchandise sold at a loss in order to draw customers

Comparison Chart

Leader Manager
A subordinate who influences to achieve a goal A person who manages an entire company or organization
Position
Temporary More stable
Accountability
It is accountable It does not have a defined accountability
Mutual Relationship
All the leaders are not managers All the managers are leaders
Followers
A leader has voluntary followers The followers of the manager are job-based
Vision
Broad Narrow
Focus On
People Process
Approach Based On
Brain and Heart Brain

Leader vs. Manager

A leader is a person who comes up with a vision. A manager is a person who has a specified goal. A leader is a subordinate who influences to achieve a goal. A manager is a person who manages an entire company or organization. The thinking approach of a leader is long term. The thinking approach of a manager is short-termed. Leaders introduce an idea among people and then midnight oil to turn their vision into reality. Managers are concerned with their specific tasks, and they manage it only.

The leader is one of the exceptional people of any society who comes up with an innovative idea or change. A manager is not an exceptional one; instead, he can be anyone hired to the post of manager. Leaders look at the bigger picture and set a massive plan in its mind about how to accomplish the goal—the thoughts and tasks of managers confined to a limited area. A leader is always a person who favors change. A manager is the opposite; he focuses on the status quo and maintains it.

It is the most significant quality of a leader to be innovative. Managers prefer to be in their comfort zone and manage the things in their original form. A leader is known for taking risks. A manager does not take risks. A leader has no fear of failure. A manager always tries to keep things in place, and he becomes worried if something against his expectations occurs. Leaders have their path of the proceeding, and they involve their hearts towards achieving their goals. Managers follow the typical path and use their brains only to proceed.

What is Leader?

A leader is a person who comes up with a vision. Leadership requires exceptional skills and qualities. A leader has such qualities to transmit and promote his vision among the people so effectively that several people become his followers. Later he builds a team by hiring talented most of his followers and tends to achieve his goal.

Leadership is not about completing tasks. It is about driving results. A leader is passionate and fearless by nature. He burns the midnight oil to turn his vision into reality. The ideology he present lasts for decades. A leader is one of the exceptional people of any society who comes up with an innovative idea or change.

Leaders do not think about their selves; rather, they look at the bigger picture and set a huge plan. Their main focus is always on a topic that is in favor of humanity. A leader is always innovative. He has new ideas and ways to change the established norms and things. He does not like to follow the established path; rather, he makes his way.

Examples of Leaders from the History are Mahatma Gandhi (The leader of the Indian independence movement), Martin Luther King, Jr. (Addressed the injustice of the black population in the United States), Maria Theresa (Inherited rule of her country, Austria, in 1740). Features of a Leader are focus on people, risk bearers, for-sighted, passionate, innovative, goal-oriented, visionary, have followers, fearless, long-term thinking, influential, and dictatorial and authoritative.

What is a Manager?

Managers are the implementers of the goals and objectives of any company or organization. They are hired by the company to keep things in place or get things done. Managers rely on their employees to complete tasks and move projects along. A manager is a person with the potential to manage an entire company or organization. The image and responsibility of an organization or a company rely very much on a manager, so he is the one who is accountable for anything wrong happening due to any reason.

A manager is a conscious and responsible person, and he tries his best to minimize the chance of any failures or losses. Managers are only concerned with their specific tasks. Its thought, tasks, and energy also confined to a limited area. A manager avoids conflicts and uses a transactional leadership style. He performs five different but linked functions to achieve goals. These five functions include planning, organizing, staffing, controlling, and directing.

Examples of Managers from the History are Henry Ford (Launched car culture- managed to increase efficiencies and lower the cost of the final product). Madam C.J. Walker (An African-American woman who developed and sold hair products that focused on the neglected needs of an underserved demographic, African-American woman, -managed a profoundly racist culture). Walt Disney (Started as a cartoonist but becoming a towering figure in global entertainment).

Features of Manager are processes focused, objective, short term thinking, have employees, follow the already existing path, not innovative, risk-averse, process management, formalistic, relying on the authority, and democratic and engaging.

Conclusion

Leaders and managers are the two different positions that are sometimes confused with each other. Both these terms are different based on their origin, definition, role, characters, tasks, position, goals, thoughts, and the like.