Leadership vs. Management: Why You Need Both (And Why We Often Get It Wrong)
Is making space to THINK part of a leader’s work day? It should be!
Leadership and management. Two words that get thrown around in meetings, strategy sessions, and LinkedIn posts, often used interchangeably but, in reality, describing very different skill sets.
We all know that great organisations need both but too often, people find themselves stuck in the wrong role, caught between what feels safe and what is actually needed. I know this because I’ve been there.
For years, I found myself rolling up my sleeves, stepping into the operational weeds, making sure things got done. And it felt good. There was something tangible to show at the end of the day; tasks completed, problems solved, fires put out. But was I leading? Not really. I was managing.
And here’s the problem: when leaders stay in the managerial comfort zone, managers don’t step up. They stop thinking for themselves, waiting for direction. Teams become hesitant, innovation stalls, and no one is holding the bigger picture. The organisation keeps moving, but without momentum or vision.
So, what’s really going on here? And how do we break the cycle?
The Leadership Trap: When Leaders Manage Instead of Leading
The trap is an easy one to fall into. A leader is promoted because they were a great manager - efficient, detail-focused, brilliant at problem-solving. But when they step into leadership, they bring their managerial habits with them. Instead of setting direction, they get involved in the “doing.” Instead of trusting their managers, they step back onto their patch.
And why wouldn’t they? Doing feels safer. A manager’s role is full of visible, tangible tasks. Leadership, on the other hand, is uncomfortable. It’s about creating space to think, making decisions in uncertainty, stepping back rather than stepping in. It’s about holding a vision and resisting the urge to “just fix it.”
But when leaders manage, it creates a ripple effect and not a conducive one! Managers feel undermined, unsure of their remit, hesitant to take initiative. They stop thinking, waiting to be told what to do. Decision-making slows, accountability weakens, and suddenly an entire team is stuck in a loop of permission-seeking rather than progress.
The Discomfort of Leadership
Leadership isn’t about control, it’s about clarity. And clarity requires thinking time, stepping away from the action long enough to see the bigger picture. But let’s be honest: thinking doesn’t always feel like working.
I struggled with this myself. After years of measuring my success by how much I got done, I had to ask myself: Is talking, strategising, coaching, and setting direction really a full-time job?
The answer, of course, is yes. Creating clarity is the work. A team without clear direction is a team that flounders. But clarity doesn’t come from being busy. It comes from making space - space to think, to listen, to challenge assumptions. And that space can feel uncomfortable, even indulgent, to those of us used to the pace of execution.
And yet, if we don’t step into that discomfort, we don’t lead.
The Fix: Balancing Leadership and Management
So how do we stop this cycle? How do we create teams where both leaders and managers thrive in their distinct roles?
Leaders need to trust their managers. That means stepping back and allowing them to do their jobs without interference, without micromanaging. Instead of fixing, coach. Instead of solving, ask the right questions.
Managers need to step up. Waiting for direction isn’t managing; it’s deferring responsibility. Good managers translate vision into action. They take ownership, make decisions, and hold their own clarity on how to move forward.
Organisations need to value both. Leadership isn’t superior to management, it’s different. Great companies don’t just build leaders; they invest in strong managers, ensuring the execution is as strong as the strategy.
Leadership is a discipline, not a job title. It’s not about stepping away from the work, it’s about stepping into the work that truly matters. Because in the end, a business without leadership might survive. But it will it ever thrive?
Leadership and Management: The Real Test
So, here’s the question: when the pressure is on, where do you default? Do you get stuck in the “doing,” retreating into the tasks that feel safer? Or do you create space to think, to guide, to lead? Take a moment and then, if needed, take some action … even if that action is to SIT STILL and think!
Bobby Davis is a qualified executive and team coach with extensive experience in organisational development, business change (the people angle), human resources and personal leadership.
Her coaching experience is against a backdrop of 30+ years working in managerial and human resources/OD roles in the British Army, Not for Profits, Professional Services and most recently with a private equity owned Hotel Group.
She has led the People “strand” within large business transformation programmes, creating people strategies, internal coaching schemes and embedding strong performance cultures, as well as supporting at all levels of an organisation to implement effective change.
She is absolutely passionate in her pursuit to support, challenge and deliver sustainable change for individuals, teams and organisations, one person at a time if necessary!
You can catch her for a chat about coaching, using your body better as a leader and/or supporting you in HR/OD here Bobby Davis FCIPD PCC | LinkedIn
And check out her dulcet tones in “More Than A Lumpy Jumper” - Conversations about Leadership, Life and Learning here More Than a Lumpy Jumper | Podcast on Spotify
