The distinction between leading and managing is often overlooked in the workplace and yet knowledge of how these crucial functions differ is essential during change. Changes, such as restructures, are becoming more common, with the rate of such change predicted to increase into the future. As such, leading and managing are essential, but different, roles as ‘change champions’ including planning change, ensuring resource availability, communicating change processes, defining outcomes, inspiring staff, encouraging engagement, developing structure, implementing polices and procedures just to name a few.

Managing Versus Leading

Acknowledgment that leading and managing are both essential in the change process has lead to an emphasis on understanding the distinction between the two. Leaders are visionaries, they inspire their followers, lead by example and are concerned with developing strategy and vision (Wikipedia, 2006). Conversely, managers are planners and organisers, concerned with process and outcomes.  As such, leaders are focused on ‘people and vision’, while managers are concerned with ‘task and outcome’.

Both leading and managing achieves results, but do so through different means. While managing involves organising resources by delegating tasks and utilising people, leading involves inspiring people to follow a vision to achieve a desired outcome (Wikipedia, 2006).

There are a variety of overt differences between managing and leading that are summarised well in ‘Leadership in Times of Uncertainty’ and Wikipedia (2006). These distinctions between managing and leading include:

• Managing involves the ‘how’ and ‘when,’ leading involves the ‘what’ and ‘why’;
• Managing maintains, leading develops;
• Managing involves planning and budgeting, leading involves setting direction;
• Managing focuses on systems, leading aligns people;
• Managing is grounded in policies and procedures, leading inspires originality and creativity;
• Managing provides control, leading stimulates trust and motivation; and
• Managing looks at output and the bottom line, leading focuses on the horizon.

While leading and managing are highlighted here as distinct from each other, leading and managing need not exist independently of each other in the workplace. Some situations will require leading, while others may call for managing. In practice, leading often incorporates managing skills as well as other qualities such as integrity, trustworthiness, sensitivity, wisdom, honesty.  Managing and leading skills are highlighted below.

Managing Skills

The following list details the roles and skills sets required for effective managing:

• Reporting;
• Budgeting;
• Measuring;
• Coaching;
• Mentoring;
• Communicating instructions;
• Doing things right;
• Appraising people;
• Formal staff briefings;
• Responding to emails and other communications;
• Delegating;
• Reacting to requests;
• Reviewing performance;
• Organising resources;
• Communicating information ; and
• Applying policies and procedures.

Leading Skills

The following list provides a set of leadership skills:

• Determining direction;
• Developing strategy;
• Defining aims and objectives;
• Developing and sharing a vision with followers;
• Inspiring others;
• Communicating with team and seeking feedback;
• Taking people with you;
• Resolving conflicts;
• Taking responsibility for mistakes;
• Identifying the need for action;
• Taking responsibility;
• Team building; and
• Giving others responsibility.

The characteristics of both leaders and managers allow them both to achieve results, but do so in unique ways. Managers are organisers, they are essentially concerned with process and outcomes to achieve desired goals. Conversely, leaders are focussed on vision and people, inspiring individual to follow a path to achieve a desired outcome.

References
Caldwell, S. (2006). Management and Leadership Development. Taken from: http://www.businessballs.com/leadership.htm
Leadership in Times of Uncertainty (2006). Taken From http://www.leadershipadvantage.com/leadershipInUncertainty.shtml

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