[Sharon]

Do you believe there is a difference between managers and leaders? Explain your position and provide examples.

[Johanna]

Yes, I believe that there is a difference between managers and leaders. I have worked for both.

The manager sees herself as above the team, not part of it. She takes pride in seeing herself as part of the upper management instead. The leader sees herself as a member of the team, not separate from it.

The manager is not approachable. When confronted with problems, she makes it clear that staff and clients needed to follow the chain of command and talk to the RN or Nursing Manager first. The leader appears very busy, but despite this communicates that she is very approachable. She makes time for staff or clients who are experiencing issues. They can possibly stop by her office and talk.

The manager is not receptive to hearing about problems such as with staffing levels. She tells staff she is doing the best she can, but nothing seems to change. As a result, her Nursing Manager gets tired of working overtime, and quits. The leader is very receptive to hearing problems, as well as possible solutions. She provides the resources that are needed. When staffing levels are low, she provides agency staff, extra staff to busy units, and purchases more hygiene supplies when needed. Staff morale increases and nurses do not quit.

[Loretta]

I believe that some manager may see them selves as superior but not all. If the manager possesses qualities of a leader they would not see themselves that way. A manager can be a leader and a leader can be a manager.

[Johanna]

Thank goodness not all managers see themselves as superior! Perhaps people who are leaders possess a higher level of emotional intelligence.

[Jessica]

We often expect our managers to be our leaders but truth is, that isn’t really the job they are expected to do. I think that a manager who can lead is a bonus for all who work under them. In reality one person probably cannot keep up with all that is expected from managers and leaders at the same time. Maybe we would be less disappointed in managers if we remember to see them for who they are.

[Jay-Ann]

So true, I would always view my managers as leaders until now learning the difference between the two.

[Blair]

I believe there is a difference between leaders and managers, by saying this, it is not meant to imply that a leader can’t make a good manager or vice versa. While doing module one for this course I found the table that outlines leadership traits and skills to be interesting. While reviewing this chart I believe a great leader has to have both skills and traits to be well rounded which would then assist them in becoming a great manager. Not everyone is built to be a leader and that is ok.
All jobs need leaders, the go getters, the motivated ones, the leaders that will speak up for their peers, residents/pt/clt. With saying this, not all leaders are cut out to be managers. Often times I feel people will take a management role for that feeling of power or control, and, on a positive side, to make a difference. With taking management roles you have to remember that you are now a super leader. You should be there to inspire, direct, guide, communicate, and influence your team. You take your leadership skills and traits to the next level. The one main and important difference is that managers take on the conflict, disciplinary action, the responsibility of the team they support. I know a common theme is that “mangers just sit in their office all day”, and yes some days they do, the good ones find a balance, the good one recognize that they have the leadership skill to advance to the next level and know the value of having an involved manager, who is not their peer but a solid support system for their team.
Over the past few years I have been working for a corporation in LTC and have become more involved in the Directives that are sent out from the Ministry. I will often be educating our LTC homes of change in policies due to change in Directive from Ministry and assist with updating these policies. I now have a better understanding of the process and the steps it takes to get a change in place. What seemed as a simple update in PCC or change in direction as a front line staff actually has many paths to cross before approval and update are made. Front line staff need to feel like they have been heard and managers need to make a point of validating and supporting there team and using different approaches. A great manager can lead to staff retention and improved performance.

[Loretta]

I believe there is a difference between managers and leaders. Managers are often viewed as people who are “higher on the ladder” and are people of authority. A manager can also possess the traits of a leader which are key to being an effective manager. On the contrary if leader traits are not qualities of a manager there is the possibility that they may not be effective managers.

A manger may be more focused on planning, organizing and coordinating aspects within their role. Managers may be more task oriented. The main focus of managers is to maintain status quo, conforming to standards, and directing subordinates.

A leader is more people oriented and will inspire, motivate and influence others to achieve their goals. A leader will empower others and create an environment which leads to success as a team. Often times others will naturally gravitate towards a person who possesses leader traits and qualities.

Managers and leaders are different but a person can possess traits and qualities of both. A manager may not always be a leader if their focus does not motivate or inspire others to reach their goals. A leader may or may not be a manager but the qualities they possess would be beneficial to them as a manager.

[Blair]

The best managers I have had possess all the quality of a strong leader, and were strong leaders before moving onto managers, Directors and even CEO positions.
Its Interesting when you reflect on your past managers you have had during you working career. It doesn’t matter what job you had, you remember the great managers and the terrible ones. In years of working you gain knowledge and experience of what type of leader or manager you would like to be due to the interactions you have had with your own.

[Jessica]

I do believe there is a difference between managers and leaders. Managers are less about the employees and more about the bottom line. I don’t say this in a hurtful manner. In the hospital, the managers tend to be very busy and keeping up with their tasks. Their tasks often have to do with what is needed to maintain function. There is little time left spent with the nurses on the floor. I don’t believe in all cases managers see themselves as superior but in the past I felt they were superior. I no longer see them that way. I see a manager with their own job responsibilities-very task oriented. A leader in my nursing experiences have always been my colleagues. Since we spend all our days together and often in partnership with our patients, we learn and build each other up to be better nurses. For example, I may have experience that my coworker does not have, I will share my knowledge and help to develop theirs. Leaders to me are more involved with the goals and growth at the same level as the employee.
I think a good way for me to diffrentiate between the two are that managers focus on the what/when and leaders focus on the how/why?
I do think it is possible to be a manager that is a leader but it would be very difficult to achieve in a very busy environment. I would be concerned that at the end of the day, a manager who wants to lead could feel defeated. I also think that as a staff member we may devalue our managers for not being leaders.

[Maria]

I do agree that there are certain managers and if not many out there who are more focused on statistics and budget. Unfortunately, even if they do have an appreciation for their subordinates, the task outweighs good communication skills and acknowledgment of their employees because they are so focused on getting the tasks done. These types of managers are perceived as rigid, unappreciative, and hard to work with, and usually employees would rather avoid communication with them unless necessary.

[Maria]

There is definitely a difference between a leader and a manager. A leader possesses emotional intelligence as part of his/her skill. The leader brings out the leader in others by acknowledging the strength of the individual and identifying weaknesses as learning opportunities for improvement. The leader actively listens and delivers when he/she promises to do so. The leader does not micro-manage but rather communicates progress and works with each individual when issues arise. The leader is also not afraid to get their hands dirty and helps his/her subordinates when staffing is short to ensure that the job is achieved prior to deadlines. Positive reinforcement is the focus of the leader and there is a higher employee retention within the organization.
There are different kinds of traits a manager possesses. Most I have seen have been micro-managing to ensure that the job is done as per his/her standard. Unfortunately, I have worked with some managers who do not cope well with stress and are unable to control their emotions while the stressors arise. A certain manager I had witnessed yelled at another nurse in front of the other staff and threatened to fire her. When a manager does not possess good communication skills and control over his/her emotions, unprofessionalism arises.
Managers who are leaders do exist. There are those who innately possess good quality leadership and those who continuously educate themselves to gain leadership skills while in a management position.

[Jay-Ann]

I do believe there is a difference between a leader and a manager. There are some similarities between the two, but they are not the same. However, I believe to truly be a successful manager one has to first be an effective leader.
A leader focuses on people rather than things. A leader has the ability to empower and influence others and facilitates change. Leaders see others as part of a team and work together to accomplish goals.
A manager is task oriented, mostly relying on authority to get people to complete tasks and to do what’s required of them. Managers focus on the goal, views work as a process, while leaders focus on the team encourages creativity and works together to accomplish goals.
Although the two differ, one can be both a leader and a manager, but only if they have the ability to communicate effectively, motivate, inspire, and encourage others.

[Rebecca]

Yes, I believe there is a difference between leaders and managers. Managers tend to be people in a position of authority within an organization whereas leaders can be anyone regardless of their position or title. Managers’ goals tend to be more specific to an organization and their position’s power to influence others toward progress. Leaders tend to work more as a team and inspire others toward the same goal. Their power comes more from the ways they interact and empower people rather than their position in a work environment. Leadership depends on the characteristics and traits of the individual, which can be learned through experiences and taught by others. Though managers can be leaders, that is not always the case.

[Author]

Posts