I facilitated a discussion last week among leaders in the catering industry from across the country about the difference between management and leadership. During the conversation there were a few themes that popped up:

• Managers must focus on the short term objectives and making sure things get done in the present. They focus on budgeting, processes, and structure. Leaders focus on the long term vision and future direction for the team. They focus on values, strategic planning, and big picture goal setting.

• Managers use authority to get their subordinates to do things. They appeal to the head with logic and clear direction on what to do. Leaders understand the people around them have chosen to follow them and use influence to get people to do things. They appeal to the heart with their focus on developing people and empowering them to make decisions.

• Managers look for consistency and keeping the status quo to ensure quality control and minimize risk. Leaders look to buck the status quo with fresh approaches and innovative ideas. They are willing to take risks in the pursuit of awesomeness.

While this is a very high overview of the differences, an important thing to note is that one is not better than the other. There are positive attributes to both and like most things in life, it’s not an absolute or black or white matter. Many of us have a special designation of being both a leader and a manager within our organization. The biggest challenge is navigating between these dynamics. There are times that call for us to be managers, and times when we need to act as leaders. When there is a big deadline to hit or the team is short on personnel it’s probably best to go into management mode. When the environment in which you operate has changed or the team needs motivation, strong leadership is required. Identifying when we need to act more in line with one or the other can be the differentiator between success and failure.

Think about where you are currently operating in your job. Are you doing more managing or leading? Then think about if that aligns with where your team and company need you to be. The awareness of this gap, or lack thereof, can help us to be intentional about how we show up and inspire us to do the work to become better leaders and better managers.

And to hear what Simon Sinek thinks about Leadership vs. Management, check out this 3 min video.