Why We Should Do Away With The “Leaders Versus Managers” Comparison

I often come across many posts, articles, quotes, and infographics that compare leaders versus managers. The major takeaway from the leaders versus managers comparison focuses on the importance of effective leadership. Unfortunately, these comparisons make this point by emphasizing how being a leader is “good” and being a manager is “bad”. Below are some examples of the many comparisons that highlight the contrast between a leader and a manager. Spoiler alert – this list is not very complimentary of managers.

Leaders Versus Managers Comparisons

• Leaders’ coach, managers’ direct
• Leaders are why employees stay; managers are why people leave
• Leaders inspire trust; managers rely on control
• Leaders do the right things; managers do things right
• Leaders’ problem-solve; managers’ report-out

Obviously, these statements do not position managers in a very positive light. These messages do not align with the research or my experience working with great managers. The worst part of this comparison is that it conveys a wrong message about the importance of great managers.

The Truth About Great Management

Read the five statements below and decide if you think they describe the attributes of a great leader or a great manager.

• They’re results-oriented while concurrently focused on developing every worker
• They intentionally give employees a voice in decision making
• They ensure people feel connected and know how their work contributes to the team and organization.
• They routinely make people feel valued and appreciated – even nurtured
• They’re deeply caring about the well-being of every person they lead

If you buy into the common leader and manager comparison statements, it would be easy to answer that these behaviors describe a great leader, BUT they don’t. This list is from Gallup’s research on employee engagement and the behaviors of great managers. This study from Gallup’s book, It’s The Manager, confirms what we observe firsthand throughout our career journeys about the importance of great managers. Take a moment and the following questions.

• Have you ever worked at a terrific organization but also had a bad manager?
• If so, what was your experience?

I have asked these two questions to thousands of employees, and the responses are always similar to the following statements:

• It turned the work I enjoyed doing into something difficult and not enjoyable
• It was challenging to stay motivated and do good work
• It negatively impacted both my professional and personal life
• And the most common answer is always – I left the organization

Gallup’s research and our personal experiences provide an entirely different picture from many of the articles, posts, quotes, and infographics that communicate being a leader is good and being a manager is not so good.

Excellent Managers Lead

The more factual reality is excellent leaders need to be effective managers, and excellent managers need to be effective leaders. I understand that there are fundamental differences in complexity, scope, and context between the role of a leader and the role of a manager. I also know the differences in the skills and abilities needed for leaders and managers to succeed in their respective roles. But, what is very clear to me is that in today’s complex and rapidly changing world, managers must exhibit both leadership and management skills to succeed. The either-or nature of the leader vs. manager proposition doesn’t convey this message or describe how essential managers are to an organization’s success. Let me share an example of one organization that found an effective way to illustrate and communicate the importance of leadership behaviors at all levels of their organization.

Leadership At All Levels

I partnered with an organization to help them develop a new leadership model that aligned with its vision and values and was simple, practical, accessible, and customizable for its leaders. Once completed, the behaviors described in the leadership model would guide assessing leadership performance, supporting leaders’ hiring and promotion, and defining actions for leadership development.

As the team started to narrow down the list of behaviors to include in the leadership model, they realized that these leadership behaviors applied to all staff in the organization, not just leaders. The design team asked for and received approval to create an inclusive leadership model for all employees. To illustrate how this leadership model applied to all employees, the team developed three levels of influence for each of the key leadership behaviors. The team defined the three levels of influence as Myself — My Team —- Beyond My Team. Below is an example of the leadership behavior “Act Strategically” across the three levels of influence.

I think this organization and its design team got it right. For organizations to succeed, leadership can’t be limited to the few individuals with executive titles. The message this organization sent to its employees gets at the heart of why the leader vs. manager comparison isn’t relevant in today’s world of work. Leadership is needed at all levels, especially for those who manage others.

Managers are vital to creating the culture and success an organization desires. Any messaging that describes the manager’s role as not being strategic or distances the manager’s role from core leadership behaviors is getting it wrong.

Article link – https://www.forbes.com/sites/tonygambill/2022/10/18/why-we-should-do-away-with-the-leaders-versus-managers-comparison/?sh=3d3a4dbd59ba#open-web-0