Are you scaling up? Is your virtual assistant business growing fast? Then you need two kinds of “influencers” in your organization – managers and leaders. While many think these two functions are related, therefore can be used interchangeably, the fact is these two are separate, completely different roles as far as corporate management is concerned. So what are the key differences between someone who manages part of your operations and someone who leads your business towards success?

Leaders see the bigger picture

Leaders are always on the edge of discovery so they always see farther. This makes them very important for growing businesses. They see a different route that everybody in the industry is taking, thus creating enough space for the business to grow. Leaders cast the vision, they present a distant but promising future.

Managers, on the other hand, set goals for everybody to focus on. They create a more realistic picture of the vision so they settle for goals and measuring current performance relative to where the organisation is going.

Imagine a route into the jungle: the leaders set the ideal picture of a new settlement (access to food and water, no flooding risks, etc.) while managers divide the journey into small, temporary camps, making sure the path is clear and it’s the shortest way to the new settlement.

Leaders are in it for the long haul

Leaders think long-term, they embrace the concept of sustainability because in their minds, there is no use if the organisation has limited resolve to see it through to the end. Leaders know there will be problems ahead but they are hungrier about possibilities of success than failure.

Managers are always limited how far they see, and the fact is, they don’t see much. They are goal-oriented so they do not see the golden gates up ahead, just segments of the path. What’s important to them is to navigate the whole journey in familiarity, safety, efficiency.

Who are always more excited, those who see farther, more than the familiar surroundings, or those that see what’s beyond the tree line? The one who sees the entirety of an opportunity lasts longer than those who only see a part of it. This explains the difference of the motivational depth between virtual assistant leaders and managers.

Leaders focus on people

Leaders understand that the only way to achieve the vision is by having the right people around them, journeying with them, sharing the same eagerness and level of energy towards a shared dream. This is why leaders are closer to people. They simply treasure relationships more.

Managers rely more on structures, they do not see people as key individuals but as part of a bigger system that can deliver results when the right kind of organisation and coordination is applied. Focusing mainly on goals and objectives, relationships take second priority for managers.

You need leaders and managers

The truth is, managers will always be an integral part of your organization’s command structure. This article is not about who you need more. Both of these functions have roles to play in your business. The challenge is knowing who are your leaders and who are your managers.

One of the costliest mistakes of business owners is putting a manager in a leadership post. What happens next? The team struggles as performers are micro-managed, potential leaders are strangled instead of mentored, and top virtual assistant talent quit because the work environment does not allow them to take off and soar.