When you apply to any type of supervisory position, your productivity and abilities not only affects you – it affects every single person that you manage. Bad managers can cost companies thousands upon thousands of dollars, hurting morale and employee longevity in the process. But good managers can motivate people together.
In order to determine if you are a good or bad manager, you may be asked some common questions about your view on leadership. One of the most common interview questions is about how you see the difference between being a leader and being a manager.
Question: What is the Difference Between Leadership and Management?
How to Answer
Leaders are likely to be good managers. But simply being called a manager does not necessarily mean you are a leader. Your answer should be focused on leadership as the better of the two options. Try to describe leadership as something that anyone can have, whether you’re CEO or working in the mailroom, while management is just a supervisor of people.
Good Answer:
“To me, management is top down. It implies that you’re above others and directing them to finish the puzzle. While it is nice as a job title, it doesn’t necessarily work as a way of exciting people towards deadlines and goals. Leadership to me is inside out. As a leader, I am on the same level as everyone else, and simply showing them the direction we’re going so that we can all get there together.”
You don’t need to have a more complex answer, but if you want you can also add a specific example of this (if you have one), then you are encouraged to do so.
Take Away Tips:
- Leadership > Management
- It Helps to Be Metaphorical a Bit
- Use Examples if You Have Them