Leadership and management … While we often hear these terms used interchangeably in business, there are clear distinctions between the two.

That’s not to say they are mutually exclusive. Managers can have leadership qualities. Leaders can have good management skills.

But it takes a lot more than a management title to create a leader. And just because someone emerges as a leader doesn’t necessarily mean they’ll inherently be a good manager.

So how do you identify a leader? What makes a good manager?

It starts with vision. Leaders have the ability to create a vision and clearly cast it to a team … And present it in a way that makes everyone want to be a part of it.

In essence, leadership is influence.

Rather than relying on power or control, leaders rely on their own attitude and actions to inspire the team to do their best.

They don’t just tell the team what to do, leaders empower the team to take effective action.

Leaders don’t have subordinates, they have followers. Leaders are people-focused.

In contrast, a manager is more structure-focused. Managers take a vision and translate it into functions, workflows, systems, and tasks.

The mindset of a manager is centered around a fixed set of responsibilities and measurable goals. They hold people accountable to completing tasks and meeting performance metrics to achieve the vision.

In essence, management is accountability.

Like visionaries and integrators, leaders and managers complement each other’s strengths and offset each other’s weaknesses.

Both roles are equally important and necessary to build and scale a successful business.

Without the skills or direction of a manager, it’s nearly impossible for a leader alone to bring a vision to reality.

On the other hand, a management team with no leadership skills might struggle to gain the support and trust of their people.

If you’re continually seeing a breakdown in systems and processes and a lack of accountability in your team as a whole, a gap in management might be the culprit.

If the team seems unengaged and unmotivated, your organization might be lacking leaders. In this case, you’ll likely see a culture and productivity decline.

If you suspect your organization has a leadership or management problem … Don’t panic!

Take a step back, identify what’s missing and fill in the gaps with effective hiring or coaching.

With the right people and tools, you can restore the balance fairly quickly and continue marching onward and upward!