Posted On Nov 16, 2022

Leadership and management are two separate concepts with equal necessity and importance in a successful organization. Both, however, are challenging.

Gallup found that "just two in 10 employees strongly agree that their performance is managed in a way that motivates them to do outstanding work." Businesses trying to hold on to talented employees must take this number to heart.

Companies can survive with strong managers but need leaders with strong management skills to thrive. Without both leadership and management, companies will struggle to make their systems and people as efficient and successful as possible.

Companies often falter because they lack sound management practices; without them, there is often tension that should not exist. When businesses are failing, they tend to look at operations or team performance, both of which are critical for success. However, companies may fail to realize that they are underperforming in management, which can break them.

Management typically relies on taking a system, breathing life into it and making it work for the team. Successful managers can empower their employees to accomplish something collectively that they could not do on their own.

Three parts of successful management include:

• Making systems work.

• Making teams work.

• Using existing resources to reach meaningful goals.

Management is more than coordination; it's an art form that takes constant practice and skill building. Good managers can keep their teams motivated and break down barriers, allowing teams to work better.

Working with clients means that teams will deal with adversity in some form. No client-agency relationship is perfect. The client may not fully understand what the agency does, or the team may feel unmotivated to perform. The manager must then step in to bring people together to achieve something more significant than any of them could individually.

Leadership accomplishes similar things, but the approach is different. Leaders bring fresh insights and ideas to teams and inspire them to collaborate. They have strong communication skills and expertise in critical areas of the business. Leaders help improve systems, inspire those around them and find unique ways to succeed. Leaders innovate to realize the potential of an organization.

Leadership significantly overlaps with management; however, a strong manager does not necessarily make for a strong leader—and vice versa. Authority does not always need to be granted to assume leadership. Anyone can be a leader regardless of authority or title.

Companies need both managers and leaders. They can survive with highly skilled managers; they just may not be the most inspiring places to work. They will get work done every day and carry on with some success. They may weather difficult economic crises, but it is unlikely that they will grow much. Adding in leadership, however, inspires people to do their best and break through barriers. Leadership and management support the systems that enable success while engaging and motivating employees to collaborate and bring their best work to the table.

Original Post: Does Your Company Have Leaders, Managers Or Both?