Identifying roles

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.

• 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.

(: There’s a problem with the bullet lists.)