9/3/2019 Team Leader vs. Supervisor Responsibilities | Chron.

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Team Leader vs. Supervisor Responsibilities

by Ruth Mayhew; Reviewed by Michelle Seidel, B.Sc., LL.B., MBA; Updated March 06, 2019

The primary difference between team leaders and supervisors

is their level of authority. Team leaders typically are workers
who have a high degree of technical proficiency in their jobs or
who are well-respected among their peers. Because of these
qualities, they have the confidence of a supervisor who trusts
the team leader can motivate co-workers from a peer-to-peer
standpoint.

In some organizations, the distinction between team leader and supervisor is unclear. However, there are certain tasks or
areas of work where it's important to clarify who does what.

Communicating Strategic Direction

Team leaders are involved in communicating the strategic direction of the department or organization to the team
members. However, team leaders usually are not involved in developing the strategic mission, nor are they involved in
determining whether the strategic direction is feasible. Supervisors, on the other hand, may play a role in strategic
decision-making or developing the mission for a department or the organization, depending on the size and hierarchical
divisions of the company.

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Assigning Tasks to Team Members

Communicating a task or project to team members is a responsibility of many team leaders. Supervisors may give the
project assignment to the team leader to carry out, and it's the team leader's responsibility to divvy up the tasks to team
members based on knowledge of their skills and talents.

Because the team leader may be ultimately responsible for submitting the final project to the supervisor, tracking
progress, monitoring team members' tasks, and ensuring deadlines are met also are functions of a team leader. When the
project is complete, the supervisor determines whether the quality of the work is acceptable.

Departmental or Company Policy

In organizations with several layers of employees, it's common for a supervisor to delegate maintaining records,
communicating departmental or company policies, and ensuring compliance to the team leader. Although both team
leaders and supervisors keep abreast of policies and directives, when team members want clarification on instructions or
policies, it's the team leader they go to for a quick response. Supervisors may be involved in policy development and
implementation and in communicating changes to team leaders.

Training and Needs Assessment

Team leaders typically are the ones who provide on-the-job training and new-hire orientation to the departmental or
team processes. While supervisors might determine the skills the team members need to acquire, it's the team leader
who is responsible for seeing to it that the team members become proficient in specific areas that enable them to
accomplish assigned tasks.

Team leaders provide day-to-day operational guidance, and because of their technical skills, they are more likely to have
a better understanding of the applications and equipment used in performing specific job tasks. Supervisors may have a
direct line of communication with the human resources department for requesting specific training programs or sending
employees to off-site training and development courses.

Coaching and Mentoring

Team leaders often are effective at coaching and mentoring employees. They have the skills and leadership capabilities
to understand the job tasks and what it takes to be an excellent worker. There is little distance between a team leader and
team member. Therefore, the coaching and mentoring that employees receive from their team leader seem relevant and
applicable.
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 9/3/2019
Supervisors Team
can coach and mentor employees, butLeader vs. Supervisor
because of theirResponsibilities | Chron.com they are usually the only ones
position of authority,
who can administer formal performance reviews and disciplinary action. Also, supervisors – not team leaders – have the
authority to hire and fire employees.

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References (4)
University of California, Santa Barbara: What Is the Difference Between a Supervisor and a Lead Worker?
Inc.: What's Your Leadership Position?
Institute for Apprenticeships: Team Leader/Supervisor
Nexxt: Three Differences Between Supervisors and Leaders
About the Author

Ruth Mayhew has been writing since the mid-1980s, and she has been an HR subject matter expert since 1995. Her work
appears in "The Multi-Generational Workforce in the Health Care Industry," and she has been cited in numerous
publications, including journals and textbooks that focus on human resources management practices. She holds a
Master of Arts in sociology from the University of Missouri-Kansas City. Ruth resides in the nation's capital, Washington,
D.C.

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