Healthcare is a dynamic field that requires leaders who are not afraid to challenge the status quo while inspiring and encouraging staff members to work with them, not for them. An organization needs strong leadership if it hopes to have a program that runs to optimal effectiveness. Management is also needed to assist in developing and maintaining a smoothly functioning organization that achieves desired health outcomes. ^[1]Bargau, M. A. (2015). Leadership versus management. Romanian Economic and Business Review, 10(2), 197. Retrieved April 29, 2022, from https://rebe.rau.ro/RePEc/rau/journl/SU15/REBE-SU15-A16.pdf

Management Vs. Leadership

Effective leadership is incredibly beneficial for care-based organizations, and the behavior of an effective leader influences how successfully an organization is perceived by those outside the organization. Some of the major advantages of effective leadership and leadership development within a rehabilitation center include positive work culture and satisfied employees. It is important as a care provider to understand how leadership differs from management in rehabilitation in order to have a healthcare facility that effectively meets or exceeds program goals.

Management is viewed quite differently than leadership in terms of characteristics and qualities. While an individual can be both an effective manager and have leadership qualities simultaneously, management is considered to be functionally separate from leadership. Management is often observed and defined as the more technical part of running an organization where managers exercise executive, administrative, and supervisory direction.

Leadership and management both involve authority, influence, and working with others to achieve common goals in business. However, leadership and management differ in nature. This is because leadership involves a relationship of multi-directional influence between leaders and team members, while management involves a unidirectional relationship from a person in authority to those under authority. The debate of leadership vs. management is not new and research is always being conducted to determine how leadership and management impact organizational success. To discuss how project management differs from project leadership, the impact of both aspects must be examined in detail.

Qualities of a Manager

To be an effective manager, a person has to have a special skill set in order to successfully direct a program or organization. This can include technical skills, human resource skills, and conceptualization skills. Technical skill refers to a manager’s ability to be proficient in their line of work.

A manager must have the competency to appropriately utilize field-specific tools and techniques. Human resource skills refer to a manager’s ability to effectively work with others, assisting their group members complete tasks. Conceptual skill essentially refers to a manager’s ability to effectively comprehend important ideas. An effective manager also needs to possess the qualities of good communication, negotiation, and delegation to make goals a reality in their given organization. ^[2]Algahtani, A. (2014). Are leadership and management different? A review. Journal of management policies and practices, 2(3), 71-82. http://dx.doi.org/10.15640/jmpp.v2n3a4

Qualities of a Leader

Being an effective leader is actually quite a complex concept. Leadership requires a multidimensional set of behaviors where an individual uses style, experience, and interpersonal skills to influence relationships with others while also being in a position of authority. Most of the definitions of leadership focus on two areas. One is how leaders possess the ability to influence groups of individuals to obtain common goals. The second is how leaders are driven to reach goals based on vision.

Leaders place their focus on motivation and inspiration to achieve success, and leaders aim to cultivate passion in others in order to encourage them to follow their vision. In an effort to reach long-term goals, leaders tend to take risks and aren’t afraid to challenge the status quo. A leader is a keen observer that keeps an eye on how their team benefits from being in proximity to the vision and seeks to inspire people to voluntarily follow them into the future.

Leaders should possess integrity, vision, toughness, decisiveness, trustworthiness, commitment, selflessness, creativity, and great communication skills. Leaders are often very charismatic and driven forward by a personal mission. Effective leaders are confident, service-oriented, have excellent coaching skills, are reliable, experienced, responsible, good listeners, visionary, realistic, great prioritizers, honest, willing to share knowledge, and high in self-esteem.

People that are in proximity to an effective leader reap the benefits of the positive environment their leader creates. Great leaders understand that service is the primary component of leading, and they build new solutions for problems rather than enforce conformity to what already exists.

Key Concepts Differentiating Management and Leadership

So, how do management and leadership stack up in the real world? Consider these vital differences.

Management Is About Controlling, Organizing, and Planning While Leadership Is About Inspiring and Motivating People to Move Forward

Managers typically apply their knowledge and skills in structured, organized, and predictable ways to achieve success. Leaders, on the other hand, are usually people who naturally follow their own vision or mission. They do so even in the face of risk, uncertainty, or ambiguity to generate successful outcomes.

Managers are often hyper-focused on reaching their goals and doing the necessary recording, tracking, and analyzing to complete a project. Leaders tend to focus more on the “how” and “why” of project management. This allows them to uncover areas where they can tap into deeper levels of interaction with others. Leaders like to motivate others beyond the technical needs of work to reach a goal.

Leaders, unlike managers, try to run organizations with styles that are flexible to allow innovative thoughts to develop. Leaders want to be inspiring, and they are more likely to make courageous moves and implement independent “out of the box” strategies to help staff members succeed. At the same time, a leader will still use their authority to manage the organization by consulting staff members when necessary. An effective leader knows how to balance inspiration with productivity and will analyze organizational progress in a manner that is deliberate, respectful, and stabilizing.

Managers Have Authority Over People But Leaders Influence People

Managers lead projects from inception to execution. Managers focus on planning and procedure as well as managing the staff, resources, and direction of the project. Managers within an organization have authority over people and use their authority to create clear, preset objectives for staff members with the staff following directions in a unilateral manner.

Under a manager, staff members often work to achieve goals that are predetermined and often leave very little room for flexible collaboration between staff members. ^[3]Liphadzi, M., Aigbavboa, C. O., & Thwala, W. D. (2017). A theoretical perspective on the difference between leadership and management. Procedia Engineering, 196, … Continue reading A manager’s job is to make sure that the day-to-day business gets done in an organization. This may include the manager directly telling staff members what to do (or not do), if necessary.

Leaders operate on a value-based model of program implementation. Leaders invest time and resources in their staff, actively collaborate with staff, and facilitate a constant learning environment. This helps all staff members to feel comfortable giving and receiving goal pertinent information. ^[4]Plotner, A. J., & Trach, J. S. (2010). Leadership Development Perspectives from Community Rehabilitation Program Directors, Managers, and Direct-Service Personnel. Journal of Rehabilitation, … Continue reading

These values create work environments where staff members’ needs and concerns can be voiced and addressed in a timely manner. Additionally, solutions can be actively developed to solve problems before they take a toll on program performance. In a rehabilitation environment, a value-based work paradigm can create valuable opportunities for staff members to be proactive in how services are delivered to clients and work on adjusting care as client issues arise.

Managers Focus on the “What” of Getting Things Done And Leaders Focus on the “Why”

In most instances, a manager places a heavy focus on the “what” aspect of tasks and projects. Having a “what” as the central focus often translates into manager’s relationships with others functioning mechanically. When working relationships are mechanical, they lack the necessary personal connections that result in the positive influence that’s possible between managers and their personnel.

Managers usually prioritize the technical aspects of helping others over allowing themselves to authentically lead in a manner that influences others outside of meeting their common goal. The lack of focus on interpersonal connections can limit a manager’s ability to create impactful outcomes for those most in need of their assistance.

Managers Use Power to Get Things Done While Leaders Inspire Others to Get Things Done

Both leaders and managers possess the power to get things done, but they choose to utilize their power in different ways to achieve results. Managers often focus on the technical side of producing results. They may rely on progress reports, check-ins, and hourly logs to assess how successful they are in their endeavors.

Again, this style may be successful in terms of program operation, but it severely misses the opportunity to be successful in relational impact. Leaders on the other hand rely on creating positive results through inspiration. Leaders fundamentally understand that positive reinforcement is an amazing model of motivation when the goal is to move people to think and behave differently. Furthermore, a leader understands that by spreading positivity, they can successfully inspire others to maintain changed behaviors for the long haul.

Leadership and Management Regarding Running Rehabilitation Centers

While leadership and management are two critical roles in rehabilitation, they are quite different from each other. Management is a necessary component of having authority in the profession and can be performed in the presence or absence of leadership skills. Conversely, leadership is an art that, once developed, helps a leader foster professional and personal success.

Managers often focus on aspects of project completion and may forget to tap into the leadership qualities that help them have more impactful interactions with their staff and clients. Alternatively, leaders often tap into their experiences and interpersonal skills to build multidimensional connections with staff which is critical to running a rehabilitation center. The great news for healthcare providers is that leadership and management can be utilized simultaneously to achieve better program function. ^[5]Toor, S. U. R., & Ofori, G. (2008). Leadership versus management: How they are different, and why. Leadership and Management in Engineering, 8(2), … Continue reading

Although leadership and management both involve authority, influence, and working with others to achieve common goals in business, the two skills differ. Leadership involves a relationship of multi-directional influence between leaders and team members. Management involves a unidirectional relationship from a person in authority to those under authority. However, the impact of both aspects must be examined in detail. A consultant can help you maximize your business potential and operational efficiency.

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