Leadership Notes: The Difference Between Leading and Managing

You can manage people’s time. But you have to lead their belief.

It took me a long time to understand that difference and even longer to live it. When I first stepped into leadership, it was for a bustling cafe in Downtown Philadelphia. There, I believed systems were everything. and that if the ROIs were right and the deadlines were clear, the buy-in from the team would follow.

But I quickly….and a little harshly learned: you can’t task-master your way into trust.

And without trust, you don’t have a team; you have people who question your every decision and let’s be honest, talk about you in the team group chat (lol). And honestly, do you blame them?

You can bark orders, or you can use your skills to lead toward results.

Managers focus on output. Leaders focus on ownership.

Managing is about making sure the “what” gets done. Leading is about helping people believe in the “why” and feel ownership in the “how.”

Think: You manage timelines, deliverables, and performance.
You lead mindset, motivation, and morale.

Leadership is about energy, not just execution.

I’ve seen teams hit every KPI (Key Performance Indicator) and still feel completely disconnected from their work. I’ve also seen teams miss the mark and still stay deeply committed to their work and the organization’s mission. The main difference, one team was led with transparency and care.

You can’t build longevity through metrics alone.
It can only be built through meaning. And meaning comes from how people feel in your presence, not just how productive they are under your direction.

Here’s what I’ve learned as a leadership coach:

1. If you lead with control, you’ll always have to micromanage.
   If you lead with clarity, people rise.

2. Your job isn’t to have all the answers.
   It’s to create a culture where people feel safe asking better questions. yourself included

3. People don’t follow managers.
   They follow momentum, and that starts with you. How you show up, how you communicate, and how you celebrate

True leadership doesn’t live in your title; it lives in your experiences. It shows up in your tone. In your presence and in the way people feel after working with you.

So, the next time you find yourself checking a list of tasks off (because there will be those seasons), pause and ask:
Did I just manage this moment, or did I lead my team?

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