The Difference Between Leadership Skills And Management Skills

What does it mean when we talk about developing our leadership skills? And what does it mean when we talk about developing our management skills Do they mean the same thing?

In this episode of Know the Difference, we are going to explore the key differences between what makes up leadership skills and what makes up management skills.

In the workplace, bosses, supervisors, and people in authority need a collection of various skills and abilities in order to be successful in their jobs. These skills can look like setting objectives, managing time, delegating work, effectively communicating, and ultimately getting the best work out of their teams. But whether these skills are about leadership or management is sometimes confusing.

So, let’s start by first defining Leadership skills and Management skills.
Leadership Skills refer to the personal qualities of the people we follow or report to. Things like their confidence, their presence, their patience, and their character. It's really about the values and skills that they bring to their job, how they make tough decisions, and how they make others feel. Leadership skills are about who the person is, and how they interact with those around them. But they’re not necessarily about how effective they are in the tasks and technical parts of their job.

Whereas Management Skills. They are about the competency of organizing and executing the work and using the resources available to you. And in a people management role, that means how you use the teams that report to you. Management skills are about how well someone can organize and direct their people to do the work. But they’re not necessarily how effective they are in how they interact and motivate those around them.