How to Lead Your Team Toward Success

What’s the difference between a manager and a leader? Years ago I found myself asking the same exact question. In all of my experience in hotel management and traditional schooling, I had never even known that there was a difference between the two. It wasn’t until someone on my team said to me, “Mary, I don’t want to be managed; I want to be led,” that I realized that they weren’t the same thing. While it would take me years to fully understand the distinction, a tiny seed was planted in me that day.

The truth is you can be a manager in your organization, but that doesn’t necessarily mean you’re a leader.

So what exactly is the difference between being a leader and a manager? John Maxwell teaches that the law of leadership is influence; nothing more, nothing less. Essentially, leadership requires the ability to influence people and that is the key distinction that separates this quality from management.

Management is very systematic, relying on formulas, procedures, and processes to achieve a goal, often overseeing every step to ensure a successful outcome. While that isn’t necessarily bad in some instances, leadership expands upon human potential and influences others to reach the goal without giving them every specific step needed to accomplish it. Leading allows for individuality, risk, creativity, and ownership which…