Team Lead vs Manager
In this blog, I will discuss the differences between the roles and responsibilities of a team lead and a manager.
Are you a team lead? Are you planning to move up the ladder to a Manager role? and wondering what will change being in a manager role.
Then, this blog is for you.
In this blog, I will talk about the roles and responsibilities of a team leader and a manager and the differences between the two positions.
Note that, this blog is written in the context of, a software development organization where a team leader reports to a manager.
Who is a team lead?
A team lead is responsible for guiding the developers to ensure project milestones are met with the required quality.
Generally, team leads are hands-on and technically contribute to the project by addressing the technical hurdles the team might encounter during implementation.
The team lead also makes sure the project timelines are met by prioritizing the technical tasks and planning sprints.
Who is a Manager?
A manager is responsible for providing strategic direction and allocating resources to ensure the overall success of the project.
Managers also plan recruitment, retention and performance evaluation for the team members including the team lead.
Managers are responsible to identify inefficiencies in the development process and improve it. A manager is expected to identify and mitigate risks for any project or development activities.
Team Lead vs Manager
The table below provides the differences between the roles.
Final thoughts
Both the Team Lead and Manager play a vital role in ensuring the overall success of the development team.
Team leads are more hands-on and focus on day-to-day technical issues and short-term milestones.
A manager oversees border responsibilities, including strategic decisions, people management and risk management.
Both these roles balance the technical and business aspects of the team, ensuring the team's outcome is aligned with company goals.
Further reading
- Am I a Leader or a Manager?
- Fundamentals of forming a team
- Time Management for Young Managers
- Tools that every Manager should use
- Free Udemy Course: New Manager - Learn to become successful
