Difference between Management and Leadership?
Difference between Management and Leadership?
(OP)
O.K. heres the question. Whats the difference between Management and Leadership? Not a trick question and I'm not looking for the Webster’s definition but something more practical and tangible.
The reason I ask is because my company has chosen to change its organizational structure. The old "classic" structure is a "silo" structure where each employee reports up through the organization chart to there functional manager. As an example, a drafter may report to his supervisor who then reports to the Chief Engineer. Tasks are handed down from Chief Engineer to various supervisors who in turn have their people perform tasks.
The change will be to a "Project" based management structure whereby people from various disciplines (QA, Eng, Production, and Purchasing etc) are assigned to a team or multiple teams. Project management will be the lead and everyone on the team is in essence "under their direction".
Since I supervised 5 engineers/designers in the past but will now no longer have to do that, what in the world does my manger mean when he states I will be in a Leadership role??
I mean really? If I have no direct reports and everyone on a team is equal, right!? Sounds to me as if it’s just a "if someone on your old team does something they shouldn't have then why didn't you catch it?
Am I missing the point?
Thanks
The reason I ask is because my company has chosen to change its organizational structure. The old "classic" structure is a "silo" structure where each employee reports up through the organization chart to there functional manager. As an example, a drafter may report to his supervisor who then reports to the Chief Engineer. Tasks are handed down from Chief Engineer to various supervisors who in turn have their people perform tasks.
The change will be to a "Project" based management structure whereby people from various disciplines (QA, Eng, Production, and Purchasing etc) are assigned to a team or multiple teams. Project management will be the lead and everyone on the team is in essence "under their direction".
Since I supervised 5 engineers/designers in the past but will now no longer have to do that, what in the world does my manger mean when he states I will be in a Leadership role??
I mean really? If I have no direct reports and everyone on a team is equal, right!? Sounds to me as if it’s just a "if someone on your old team does something they shouldn't have then why didn't you catch it?
Am I missing the point?
Thanks





RE: Difference between Management and Leadership?
* There is a functional management structure, under which there are chief engineers who have technical managers who have engineers with specific functional responsibilities.
* There is a project management structure, with program managers who direct project managers who direct task leaders who direct engineers.
Technical managers and technical leaders are responsible for making sure that staffing levels in their department are appropriate for the workload (if things aren't getting done, they are to blame, and if people are idle, they are to blame). They are responsible for making sure that the work done in their department is technically correct. They make sure that they have people with the right skill sets in place to get their technical functions done. They lay out standard work practices and make sure that they're followed, and help coordinate audits within their department. They also do the day-to-day management activities, like timesheets, performance reviews, hiring, firing, etc.
Program management is responsible for delivering a particular scope of work on time and on budget. They line up the activities from various technical functions in a program plan, and they rely on the technical managers to meet their staffing needs. They are responsible for communicating program scope and deliverables to the technical teams, reporting performance shortfalls to technical managers, and for reporting program status to appropriate parties within the organization. Task leaders are usually engineers within a particular functional area, who guide the activities of designers, etc., to perform a specific portion of the technical work on a program/project.
RE: Difference between Management and Leadership?
At a company level, both structure must exist. While a project-oriented structure is what pays the bills, the functional organization is what is needed to train and mentor engineers, get the right equipment, get the right software, do performance reviews, etc., particularly since project structure may not last more than a few months and you get assigned to another project, or you work multiple projects at the same time.
TTFN
RE: Difference between Management and Leadership?
thread765-133213
Wes C.
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Light travels faster than sound. That's why some people appear bright until you hear them speak.
RE: Difference between Management and Leadership?
A more practical organization is one where both functional and project organizations exist.
TTFN
RE: Difference between Management and Leadership?
My def.
Regards,
Mike
RE: Difference between Management and Leadership?
I understand the concept of the different types of management structures and have been involved in both before. The root of my question was more from a day to day activities perspective. since I will no longer have any direct reports, I can't say anymore that "you need to do a drawing this way because". Well I can say it but no one is required to listen.
Since I am being asked to give "leadership" now, I interpret it as having responsibilty with no authority.
The good news is the pays the same and the Bass Ale in my frig. is cold.
RE: Difference between Management and Leadership?
I was given a "leadership" roll with "no authority" about 20 years ago. When in a review, the VP asked my how I saw my roll, I told him that I felt "I had the responsability but not the authority". He then told me I had all the authority I needed, until someone like him stopped me.
It was a very small audience in this presentation, so I thought I would "call him on it".
I found out, that there are not a lot of people that are willing to challange the authority you presumed.
I say "give it a shot" if they stop you, call them on it.
RE: Difference between Management and Leadership?
A manager is given authority over subordinates, and they do as they are told because they know they have to.
A leader inherently has authority, or at least the impression of it, that's why he/she is elected to be a leader. Followers listen to their leader & want to be told what to do.
A good manager also leads his subordinates. A good leader is able to manage his followers. The end result is the same ... the task gets done ... but the morale of the "troops" is very different.
RE: Difference between Management and Leadership?
The leadership role is for a person who is respected. Take that respect to direct how you want things to go. Keep it your way until someone above tells you you can't.
RE: Difference between Management and Leadership?
RE: Difference between Management and Leadership?
A leader assigns a task on the Piccard example: "Make it so". A leader knows he is supervising smart people. He trusts their decisions. He is available if options needed to be discussed. If you don't have the resources, he will see that you get them. He won't stand around complaining about you or your work, but will see that you get positive opportunities to improve. Leaders are found in the entrepreneur phase of the life-cycle of companies - before they develop "Competence Inversion". A leaders purpose is to make you more effective.
The term "manager" implies a clueless moron. A manger is only effective when supervising people who are dumber than himself. He assigns tasks based on getting the task done the way he wants (macromanager) or will interrupt and endlessly oversee the details of task (micromanager). A true manager is the perfect example of the second part of Archibald Putts First Law "Technology is dominated by two types of people: those who understand what they do not manage and those who manage what they do not understand". A manager's purpose is for you to make him more effective.
RE: Difference between Management and Leadership?
Management is the ability to force people to follow against their will because they can.
Which would you rather work for?
RE: Difference between Management and Leadership?
We have discipline leads, squad leads, team leaders, etc. They are pretty much in a management role. They are responsible for the team/group.
We also have area managers, project managers, group managers. They are pretty much in a leadership role. They are responsible for the team/group.
I think in a lot of cases, it is just semantic preferance.
A good leader has good management skills. A good manager has good leadership skills.
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Albert Einstein
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RE: Difference between Management and Leadership?
I opine that leadership skills are not restricted to your positional profile. They are helpful even when you deal with family matters, your friends or collegues. Kenneth Blanchard's work on situational leadership can give you good pointers.
Servant leadership model is in vogue now a days but I didn't hear about any servant management with the exception of hotel industry
RE: Difference between Management and Leadership?
As I see it, the manager is responsible for executing the leader's plan. The leader is the person who knows when to execute the manager...
I work for a "Team Leader" and a "Manager." These are two different people. The Team Leader is the "old man" structural who knows everything because he's done it before. He also is a brilliant engineer who mentors me, checks (not supervises) my work. We also consult, brainstorm, etc. on how to do things. My Manager makes sure I have the money, time and toys to do my work. He also makes sure I get paid on time. Both positions have "leadership" facets though they aren't "project manager" positions.
The more I think of it, the more I realize that I have, as an adult, worked for four people I would really consider "leaders." Three of them were military at the time and were so good at anticipating what had to be done (Dave, just keep in mind that we're on a 'glide path'...") that I was able to get done what I was doing and get it built. The other one was probably the best person I've ever worked for. Technically he was "good enough" - that is, a P.E. civil with lots of design and construction experience in his youth, but having switched to management for the last 15 or so years - as an engineer, but really shined in getting the lot of us to produce work good enough such that we were finally recognized by the rest of the firm.
Hmmm... Maybe a leader that I'd like to work for has a "management vision" whatever that means.
RE: Difference between Management and Leadership?
RE: Difference between Management and Leadership?
RE: Difference between Management and Leadership?
RE: Difference between Management and Leadership?
The leader gets people involved in the process and helps them develop, while a manager assigns work.
RE: Difference between Management and Leadership?
Managers manage finite resources for effective utilization.
Leaders are those people that inspire you to perform to your limits and beyond.
RE: Difference between Management and Leadership?
luis
RE: Difference between Management and Leadership?
You don't have to be a good leader to be a good manager, and you don't have to be a good manager to be a good leader. In my experience, "good" managers are often poor leaders, and "good" leaders are hard to keep around.
RE: Difference between Management and Leadership?
To survive in the 21st Century, we are going to need a new generation of leaders - leaders not managers. The distinction between a Manager and a leader is, to be understood clearly.
The Manager administers; the leader innovates.
The Manager is a copy; the leader is an original.
The Manager maintains; the leader develops
The Manager relies on control; the leader inspires trust.
The Manager has his eye on the bottom line; the leader has his eye on the horizon.
The Manager accepts status quo; the leader challenges
The Manager does things right; and the leader does right things
Warren Bennis
Managing People is Like Herding Cats
Brian
RE: Difference between Management and Leadership?
Former boss told me: "I want to get rid of Bob. I don't like him. I can never tell what he's thinking. that bugs me."
Bob's work was fine, best in the group. Bob was just one of those guys with a perfect poker face. My boss found that unnerving.
RE: Difference between Management and Leadership?
I always let peoples work performance make up my opinion. I have a meeting next week with the VP regarding a designers on the job performance or lack their of. My only compliant is the need for his on the job "clarity". He needs to know what is required of him and how to perform those tasks.
Best Regards,
Heckler
Sr. Mechanical Engineer
SW2005 SP 5.0 & Pro/E 2001
Dell Precision 370
P4 3.6 GHz, 1GB RAM
XP Pro SP2.0
NVIDIA Quadro FX 1400
o
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RE: Difference between Management and Leadership?
RE: Difference between Management and Leadership?
Some good leaders just lead by example or "from behind"
I have known managers that have been threatened but dependant on natural leaders, hanging on for their own gains because they have to, but resenting it.
I can't remember a true leader feeling genuinely threatened (long term) by a manager.
The sad fact, and referring to your question winpop123, is that unofficial leading could be the route to your managers gains and you risking extra strain. Careful not to become an unofficial fall guy. Make sure people above your manager know you have been tagged to "lead" and keep a reporting route to higher management open.
What I guess though, is that you, like most engineers who would spend their personal time on this website, will do what you think it takes to get to a solution anyway, which I think means you will lead to some extent. And so you should. Anyway, who says this new structure will last, just do what you do best.
Hope you get some reward for it outside of the usual personal satisfaction.
RE: Difference between Management and Leadership?
Management is when you have someone who doesn't understand what it is you do, telling you what to do without providing what you need to get it done.
Leadership is when you have someone who knows you know what you're doing, telling you what needs to be done and letting you do your job while making sure you have the tools you need to get it done.
Jeff Mirisola, CSWP
CAD Administrator
SW '07 SP1.0, Dell M90, Intel 2 Duo Core, 2GB RAM, nVidia 2500M
http://designsmarter.typepad.com/jeffs_blog
RE: Difference between Management and Leadership?
My first boss was someone who was EXACTLY like JMIrisola's "leadership" description. He is nationally recognized within his industry for his leadership abilities. I would go to the end of the earth for him and so would many other people who have worked with him. He is fantastic at creating new more functional organizational structure, seeing the bigger picture, and getting others to see the bigger picture with him.
However, as a manager, working near the bottom of the totem pole with employees who didn't always do the right thing, he had his flaws. He was incapable of dealing with an employee who wasn't doing what they should. But put him up at a higher level, where that kind of stuff goes away (it's the problem of lower management), where there's less "management" requirement and more pure leadership, and he shines.
As someone else in this thread said, they are separate skill sets but both are important. And different jobs require more or less of each.
Hg
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RE: Difference between Management and Leadership?
Leader - Leads and carries his team along.
HVAC68