People often mistake leadership and management as the same thing, but they are very different. The big difference between the two is that leaders have people that follow them, whilst managers simply having people work for them.

With good technical skills, any manager should be able to ensure that day-to-day activities are happening as they should and that procedures are followed. However, to make people believe in the vision you set and to work with you on achieving your goals you need to practice good leadership skills.

It is also true that a leader earns their respect by action and leading by example. Not because they were giving a title. This is where unfortunately many of our world leaders get it wrong.

According to research, there are 7 leadership styles – All may not resonate with you:

1. Autocratic leadership style

Nearly all decisions are made by the leader. This is then communicated to their team who are expected to follow instructions.

2. Democratic leadership style

Most preferred style in a workplace because the leader involves the team in making decisions and the communication flow upward and downwards.

3. Coaching leadership style

Modern style of leadership, where the leader coaches the team to come up with solions and make collective decisions. This is a very effective leadership style and has been proven to boost employee motivation, increase performance and create cohesive teams.

4. Strategic leadership style

This is where a leader sets a strategic vision and persuades the team to follow the vision giving them right strategies and tools. This style is known to create robust teams that are well equipped to handle unforeseen situations, risks and threats.

5. Transformational leadership style

This leadership style does require strategic thinking and intellectual stimulation to initiate change in oneself and others. Focuses on high goals and strict deadlines and high expectation. This style of leadership is not for the faint-hearted.

6. Laissez-faire leadership style

This is a French word meaning ‘let them do’.  This leadership style delegates the responsibility to the team, giving the maximum scope for innovation and flexibility with almost no supervision. One of the greatest leaders with this style was Mahatma Gandhi.

7. Charismatic leadership style

This style of leadership attracts people to follow a vision or a cause through charm, eloquent communication and touches people on a deep emotional level. Some charismatic leaders: Richard Branston, Steve Jobs and even Napoleon Bonaparte

Test – Are you a manager, a leader or both?

Managers Give Directions	Leaders ask questions
Managers have subordinates	Leaders have followers
Managers use their authority to get things done	Leaders motivate others to get things done
Managers tell people what to do	Leaders show people what to do
Managers react to change	Leaders create change
Managers find faults	Leaders find reasons to praise success

The challenge lies in making sure you are both leading your team and managing your day to day operation. Organisations who are able to do hire managers with both these skills, will create a competitive advantage.