Leading and Managing People/PMAN102/Managing vs. Leading/Matching

Roles of managers and leaders

In this section you are going to further explore the differences and similarities between the roles and tasks of managers and leaders. Here is a list of action verbs. Decide whether each one is a typical managerial or leadership role/task. Some may be common to both roles. Click on each option to see whether you are correct or incorrect and why. Read through the hints carefully so you learn as you complete the exercise. Repeat this activity as many times as needed to be able to eventually get all correct.

• Allocate
  • Managing
    • Correct. One of the key roles of managers is to allocate resources efficiently to support and meet the goals of the organization.
  • Leading
    • Incorrect. While some leaders may allocate resources, it is not one of their primary role.
• Inspire
  • Managing
    • Incorrect. While some leaders can also be managers, inspiring is not a key role of managers.
  • Leading
    • Correct. One of the main roles of leaders is to inspire people, to rally them around a vision.
• Influence
  • Leading
    • Correct. By definition, leaders have influence, which can be at a more global and strategic level, or at a team or unit level.
  • Managing
    • Correct. Managers can have influence within the organization, especially when it comes to setting goals and deciding what resources will be allocated to which project.
• Motivate
  • Managing
    • Correct. Managers must motivate employees so they can achieve the organization's goals.
  • Leading
    • Correct. Leaders motivate people by inspiring them to commit to the overall vision of the organization.
• Pressure
  • Managing
    • Correct. It is the job of the manager to apply pressure on employees when necessary.
  • Leading
    • Incorrect. Leaders usually get results by inspiring others, not by pressuring them.
• Collaborate
  • Leading
    • Incorrect. In general, leaders don't get involved with operational decisions.
  • Managing
    • Correct. Managers often have to foster collaboration between employees so that, as a team, they can contribute to the overall goals of the company.
• Train
  • Managing
    • Correct. Training is an important part of the manager's role.
  • Leading
    • Incorrect. Leaders are not usually involved in training.
• Mentor
  • Leading
    • Correct. Leaders can take employees under their wing and mentor them.
  • Managing
    • Correct. Managers can mentor employees to help them achieve their full potential.
• Organize
  • Managing
    • Correct. It is very much the purview of managers to be involved with organization.
  • Leading
    • Incorrect. While some leaders can be involved in organization, it is not their primary role.
• Plan
  • Managing
    • Correct. Managers take the overall vision and goals set by the organization and plan the best way to achieve them.
  • Leading
    • Incorrect. While some leaders may be involved in planning, it is usually the role of managers to implement the leader's vision through planning.
• Intervene
  • Managing
    • Correct. It is the job of the manager to intervene when necessary.
  • Leading
    • Incorrect. The main role of leaders is to inspire others but they rarely intervene in everyday work, which is the role of the managers.
• Monitor
  • Managing
    • Correct. A large part of the manager's role is to monitor the progress towards the achievement of the organization's goals.
  • Leading
    • Incorrect. While some leaders may also be managers, it is not usually their role to monitor daily activities and progress.
• Support
  • Managing
    • Correct. One of the key roles of managers is to ensure proper support so that resources can meet the goals of the organization.
  • Leading
    • Incorrect. While some leaders can also be managers, in general, it is not the role of leaders to provide support.
• Achieve
  • Managing
    • Correct. One of the key roles of managers is to achieve the goals, objectives, milestones, etc. set by the organization.
  • Leading
    • Correct. While leaders also play a role in achievement, their achievements are usually at a different, more global level.
• Mobilize
  • Managing
    • Correct. Managers can be tasked with mobilizing employees to attain the objectives set by the organization.
  • Leading
    • Correct. One of the main roles of leaders is to mobilize people, to rally them around a vision or a common goal.