Have you ever caught yourself saying, “That was the best boss I ever had?” But what does it mean? What sets the great boss apart from the average boss?

While the terms leadership and management get used interchangeably, they don’t mean the same thing. Leadership is about setting a new direction, or vision, for a group to follow. They build an inspiring vision, and create something new. Leadership is about mapping out where you need to go to win as a team, or an organization; it is dynamic, exciting, and inspiring. A great leader not only sets the direction, but they also energize the team to take action; to move toward realizing the vision.

Management, on the other hand, controls or directs people and resources in a group according to established principles or values. Management involves creating timetables to meet commitments and developing specific action steps. This often requires managers to put some structure to a plan which includes staffing requirements, communications, and delegation of responsibilities.

Every manager is not necessarily a leader, and every leader is not necessarily a manager.

I have worked for and with many great leaders who could spearhead an initiative and create engagement and excitement for a vision; however, when it came to time management, communication, and delegation, they were terrible managers. I have also worked with managers who could put together an amazing project plan with proper staffing requirements and the exact action steps necessary for success; however, the team wouldn’t follow them. They couldn’t figure out how to engage their team members and get them excited about the mission at hand.

A true lean leader is both a leader and a manager.

Chances are if you ever caught yourself saying, “That was the best boss I ever had,” that person had figured out how to be both a good leader and a good manager. They were able to create timetables, keep commitments, and put structure to a plan. They also came up with creative suggestions, had a flexible mindset, remained positive, all while inspiring the team.

It’s important that we practice these traits to be a good manager, and leader, and then coach our team to do the same. After all, we want to create true leaders, not just someone that gives out tasks and orders.