Task 01:

Define and compare the different roles and characteristics of a leader and a manager.

DEFINITIONS.

Leader

A leader is a person who influences his followers to achieve a specified goal. He is a

person with a vision and inspires his followers in such a way that it becomes their vision. He
helps them in making the strategy to achieve the goal and possesses a good foresightedness
along with the other qualities like- motivating the subordinates, creating teams, innovation,
developing trust among the stakeholders, etc.

According to the peter Drucker,

“The leaders who work most effectively, it seems to me, never say "I." And that's
not because they have trained themselves not to say "I." They don't think "I." They think
"we"; they think "team." They understand their job to be to make the team function. They
accept responsibility and don't sidestep it, but "we" gets the credit. This is what creates
trust, what enables you to get the task done.”

Manager

A manager is a person who manages the organization such that he is responsible for
planning, organization, direction, coordination and control. They are the ones who get their
work done by the employees through several ways and has the authority to hire or fire the
employees. There are various types of managers present in an organization such as top-level
managers, functional managers, project manager, general manager.

Managers tend to react to specific situations and be more concerned with solving short
term problems. Management suggests more formality and the term “Manager” refers to a
position within a structured organization with prescribed roles.

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A century ago, in 1916, Fayol identified the common features of management. These are
still relevant to management today. He identified the common functions as:

1. Planning
2. Organizing
3. Commanding
4. Co-ordinating
5. Controlling

COMPARISON

Roles of a manager and a leader.

Leadership and Management are two different concepts. The difference of roles of a leader
and manager are as follows.

Managerial Roles

As a manager, you probably fulfill many different roles every day. For instance, as well as
leading your team, you might find yourself resolving a conflict, negotiating new contracts,
representing your department at a board meeting, or approving a request for a new
computer system. Put simply, you're constantly switching roles as tasks, situations, and
expectations change.

More recently, in 1989, Mintzberg identified the ten roles which managers fulfill in the
course of their job. These are divided in to three groups:

 Interpersonal
 Informational
 Decisional

Under above categories different roles and their explanations has been declared as follows.

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Interpersonal
Figurehead Symbolic role in which the manager is obliged to carry out social,
inspirational, legal and ceremonial duties.
Leader This relates to the manager’s relationship with subordinates,
especially in allocating tasks, hiring, training and motivating staff.
Liaison The manager must develop a network of contacts outside the
chain of command through which information and favors can be
traded for mutual benefit.

Informational
Monitor The manager collects and sorts out information which is used to
build up a general understanding of the organization and its
environment as a basis for decision making.
Disseminator The manager is responsible for distributing information to those
who need it.
Spokesperson The manager is responsible for transmitting information to
various external groups by acting in a PR capacity, lobbying for the
organization, Informing the public about the organization’s
performances, plans and policies.

Decisional
Entrepreneur The manager should be looking continually for problems and
opportunities when situations requiring improvement are
discovered.
Disturbance handler The manager has to respond to pressures over which the
department has no control.
Resource allocator The manager must choose from among competing demands for
money, equipment, personnel and management time.
Negotiator The manager must take charge when their organization engages
in negotiations with others. In these negotiations, the manager
acts as a figurehead, spokesperson and resource allocator.

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Roles of a Leader

1.Create an Inspiring Vision & Lead by Example

• Create an inspiring vision; establish shared values; give direction and

set stretch goals

• Manage change strategically, take risks, create change; lead change;

manage resistance to change

• Lead by example; practice what you preach; set an example, and

share risks or hardship

• Demonstrate confidence; win respect and trust without courting

popularity

2.Empower, Inspire, and Energize People

• Be enthusiastic; inspire and energize people; create a positive work

environment

• Empower people; delegate authority; be open to ideas; have faith in the

creativity of others

• Communicate openly and honestly; give clear guidelines; set clear

expectations

• Empathize; be willing to discuss and solve problems; listen with

understanding; support and help

3.Build and Lead a Team

• Use team approach; facilitate cooperation; involve everyone; trust ones

group; rely on their judgment

• Bring out the best in one’s people; have common touch with them; coach and
provide effective feedback.

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 • Permit group decision; help one’s team reach better decisions

• Monitor progress, but don't micromanage, lead one’s team; avoid close

supervision; do not over boss; do not dictate; lead team self-assessment

Characteristics of a Manager and a Leader.

The difference between leader and manager can be drawn clearly on the following grounds:

Manager Leader
Manages the entire organization. Influences his subordinate to achieve a
specified goal.
Has the intelligence. Possesses the quality of foresightedness.
Manager plans details. Sets directions.
Manager has the employees. leader has followers.
The manager uses transactional leadership Transformational leadership style is used by
style. the leader.
Focuses on the Process and Procedure & Focuses on people & goals.
tasks.
Aims at accomplishing the end results. Aims at the growth and development of his
teammates.
Approve Motivate.
Follow the rules Break the rules
Minimize risk/ Risk averse/ risk neutral. Take risk. / Risk seekers

Addition to the above differences of characteristics of leader and manager, followings can
also be identified.

 Leaders have vision and inspire others to follow it, but managers follow an
organization’s present vision.
 Within an entity a manager is appointed to a position of authority. Leadership is a
function of the position.

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 Managers tend to adopt impersonal or passive attitudes towards goals. Leaders
adopt a more personal and active attitude towards them.
 Managers perceive themselves as regulators of the existing order of affairs within
the entity. A leader’s sense of identity does not depend upon membership or work
roles. Leaders tend to search out opportunities for change.

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References
https://keydifferences.com/difference-between-leader-and-manager.html

https://hbr.org/2004/01/managers-and-leaders-are-they-different by
Abraham Zaleznik
FROM THE JANUARY 2004 ISSUE

https://shodhganga.inflibnet.ac.in/bitstream/10603/1991/18/18_chapter%203
.pdf