What is the difference between a leader and a manager?

The distinction between a leader and a manager revolves primarily around their roles and how they interact with their teams and organizations. Leaders inspire and motivate their followers, creating a vision and rallying individuals around that vision to foster engagement and commitment. They typically possess strong interpersonal skills and the ability to influence and guide others towards achieving collective goals.

On the other hand, managers are focused on organizing and coordinating resources, including people, processes, and systems, to ensure that objectives are met efficiently and effectively. Their role often involves planning, executing, and monitoring tasks, which requires a set of skills that is more detail-oriented and structured.

Choosing the idea that leaders inspire and motivate while managers organize and coordinate captures the essence of how these two roles complement each other in a workplace. Leaders drive innovation and change, while managers ensure that the necessary activities and resources are aligned to support those innovations and changes.