People commonly confuse the words leadership and management, treating them as if they are one and the same. It reminds me how, in my work with doctors, they use marketing and advertising as if they were the same thing.
Leadership takes many forms.
For those of you who run a practice, a business, or a department within a larger organization, leadership is the driving force behind setting the tone for how work gets done. A leader’s role is to chart the course. A manager’s goal is to help the team or project stay on course. To motivate, a leader exerts influence, where a manager uses control. They are both needed, but they are not the same thing and can have poor consequences when they are confused for one another.
Who are the Leaders on Your Team?
Many times the manager or boss is the leader. But don’t think for a moment that employees can’t lead. In fact, many of them do, albeit informally.
High-performing organizations want to develop leaders as much as managers. Leadership skills in front-line employees make for a much more rewarding work environment…for them, for their supervisors, and for the customers!