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Manager, leader, supervisor, and administrator are often used interchangeably, yet they are not the same. A leader is anyone who uses interpersonal skills to influence others to accomplish a specific goal. The leader exerts influence by using a flexible repertoire of personal behaviors and strategies. The leader is important in forging links—creating connections—among an organization’s members to promote high levels of performance and quality outcomes. Leaders are skilled in empowering others, creating meaning and facilitating learning, developing knowledge, thinking reflectively, communicating, solving problems, making decisions, and working with others. Leaders generate excitement; they clearly define their purpose and mission. Leaders understand people and their needs; they recognize and appreciate differences in people, individualizing their approach as needed.

Leaders also have the capacity to earn and hold trust. They have a genuine concern for others and help others achieve their potential. Leadership is relationship management. The organizational structure heterarchy, exemplifies the importance of the leader’s relationship skills.

Leadership requires attending to and acknowledging others and being personally authentic and accountable. The leader must have enthusiasm, energy, and commitment, but most of all, the leader must be able to inspire others to commit to the goals of the organization.

The functions of a leader are to achieve a consensus within the group about its goals, maintain a structure that facilitates accomplishing the goals, supply necessary information that helps provide direction and clarification, and maintain group satisfaction, cohesion, and performance.

A manager, in contrast, is an individual employed by an organization who is responsible and accountable for efficiently accomplishing the goals of the organization. Managers focus on coordinating and integrating resources, using the functions of planning, organizing, supervising, staffing, evaluating, negotiating, and representing. Interpersonal skill is important, but a manager also has authority, responsibility, accountability, and power defined by the organization. The manager’s job is ussually to: clarify the organizational structure, choose the means by which to achieve goals, assign and coordinate tasks, developing and motivating as needed, and evaluate outcomes and provide feedback.

All good managers are also good leaders and the two go hand in hand. However, one may be a good manager of resources and not be much of a leader of people. Likewise, a person who is a good leader may not manage well. Both roles can be learned; skills gained can enhance either role.