You can meet the criteria to be a manager in certain organization, but it takes more than college degree or years of experience in certain field to be considered as a leader. You are often hired as an external candidate or promoted within your organization to become a manager. Then what is it take to become a leader? Is it possible to be a manager and considered as a leader by employees at the same time?
United States Army defines the word leadership as “process of influencing people by providing purpose, direction, and motivation to accomplish the mission and also improving the organization”. This means being a leader is more than simply delegating the task to employees. Leaders help their employees feel like they are valued and there is a reason why he or she is part of that organization. The employees are never lost because their leaders provide the crystal clear direction for them to navigate with.
The key difference between a leader and a manager is what they do to motivate people. Leaders know exactly what type of person their employees are. I think it is imperative to know the types of motivation because not everyone is motivated the same way. For example, some people are extrinsically motivated. He or she takes great pride in their work, and they feel motivated when someone rewards them with an award or promotion for their hard work. They feel the sense of achievement that way. Some people are intrinsically motivated. They do not necessarily work hard to “be on the spot light”, but they are motivated when someone simply tap on their shoulder and say,” hey you are doing a great job. I appreciate your hard work.”
Leaders naturally know how his or her employees are motivated because they are in constant communication with his or her employees. They are not necessarily the kind of people sitting down in their office doing their managerial work. There is nothing wrong with a manager staying in his or her office simply doing their managerial work. It is just that if the manager wants to create an atmosphere for his or her employees where employees feel like their co-workers and managers are one big family working hard towards their common goals, then the manager needs to do more than “what is required by his or her job description”.
In conclusion, do you consider yourself as a manager or a leader? If you consider yourself as a leader, what is your leadership style like? What is one thing you do to motivate your employees everyday? Do you consider yourself as a manager, but you would like to be considered as a leader by your people? Take your time to think about where you stand between being a manager and a leader today.