Leader Vs Manager Job Titles: Does it really matter?Does Anyone Care?

As we hit the midway point of Q2, I know many of you will be focused on leadership development and succession planning, ensuring those who lead teams are doing so effectively and making strong progress on goals.

And what I’d like to share today was spurred by a conversation I had last week with a Fin Tech organisation looking to explore training and coaching (if this is something you would be interested in chatting through, then feel free to book a call) and it’s the Leader vs Manager debate.

Leaders are traditionally seen as visionaries who inspire and motivate others. The Oxford English Dictionary describes them “commanding a group” (which feels very archaically patriarchal to me). Managers are typically seen as focused on day to day execution “controlling or administrating an organisation” by the OED (which again could really do with an update).

So why do some organisations refer to people who lead teams as managers and others as leaders? And does it really matter?

As we are all consciously aware of - words are powerful. The terminology and language we use is a huge part of workforce culture, woven into symbols, stories, rituals and routines as per Johnson and Scholes Cultural web model.

In a world where the pace of change is increasing by 33% YOY (according to Accenture), I believe anyone leading a team should be deemed a ‘leader’ and should also see themselves as one too.

Because we need them to step up and be Leaders of the Future.

We need them to be managing the day to day operations as well as inspiring and motivating a cross-generational team who are most likely hybrid working.

We need them to be managing up, down and across. Creating a strong team culture where psychological safety is the foundation. Having open and transparent communication. Being authentic and self aware. Pushing for innovation. Creating a team purpose and drive.

And it’s that strain and expectation on leaders that isn’t being addressed or invested in (book a call to see how we can support you to create world class leaders and high performing team).

We are seeing organisations across industries recognise this, especially with the latest statistics that show 82% of people leaders have had no form of training or coaching and are expected to excel in not only their role, but also in leading. These have been deemed ‘accidental leaders’.

And it’s crucial to create strong leaders, because strong leaders are the key to differentiating and future proofing your organisation.

If you'd like to explore how we can support you then let's chat.