Page 6 - Phase 2 - Identifying entrepreneurial actions for school improvement

Role of Middle Leaders

Role of Middle Leaders

Managers vs Leaders

The words ‘managers’ and ‘leaders’ are commonly used words to describe those people
in mid-high positions in a hierarchical structure. The main difference between the two is that
managers maintain the stability and predictability for the organisation, while leaders tend to
change or improve the orientations of the organisation. The following table summarises the
significant duties of managers and leaders:

Budgeting
Quality assurance
Managers Reporting
Organising staff
Transmitting messages

Setting direction
Putting new structures in place
Leaders
Redesigning responsibilities
Developing capacity

Management and leadership must go hand in hand. Although they are not identical, they are
complementary and linked to each other. This is particularly essential in small teams and
committees. A team member or committee chairperson needs to be both a good manager and
leader to bring new members on board and create efficient workflows.

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