Leadership vs. Management: Decode the Skills That Can Boost Your Career
By: Bruce Anderson, Dean, Muhlenberg College School of Graduate Studies Tuesday, January 2, 2024 03:00 PM
Almost every type of business, from mid-size manufacturers to the largest of health systems, includes managers and leaders. But why is leadership distinct from management, and how can knowing the difference help you shape your career goals?
While we often use leadership and management interchangeably, they are two distinct concepts. And while a select few people are “natural born leaders,” leadership is a learned skill for the rest of us.
Let’s explore leadership vs. management and unlock how to develop the skills you need to lead effectively in for-profit and not-for-profit settings.
Leadership vs. Management: They’re Both Important
What’s the difference between leadership and management? Managers are the people who get things done in an organization. They manage people, resources and technology on a day-to-day and week-to-week basis. Managers make sure companies achieve their goals. They hire people, resolve staffing issues or conflicts, and keep businesses moving.
In contrast, leaders provide the vision that managers and frontline staff execute. They set the course for where the company wants to be in five years and how it will get there. A leader’s job is to communicate that vision and inspire managers and staff to deliver results.
Managers and leaders are equally important in any business. If you have good leadership but bad managers inside your company, you won’t be able to implement your vision, no matter how solid it might be. If you have great managers but poor leadership, you will lose your competitive edge and experience higher employee turnover rates.
However, it takes a unique skill set to become a leader. You need an eye on the future and the intuition to identify challenges before they become reality. That means learning critical thinking skills to help you answer some big questions: How will AI change our business in the next three years? What impact will climate change have on our business strategy? How will healthcare evolve in a post-pandemic environment?
Leadership or Management: Which One Should I Choose?
If you’re reaching mid-career status, it’s a good bet you’re eyeing either a management or leadership role. Which one is right for you? The answer is highly personal.
The best way to know is to ask yourself: What excites me to get out of bed in the morning and go to work? If you’re struggling to find an answer or feel stale or trapped in your current job, stepping into a management or leadership role could renew your career enthusiasm.
A master’s degree allows you to develop the skills needed to be a rock-solid manager or a trailblazing leader. While you may be familiar with traditional management degree paths, such as a master’s in business administration (MBA), today, you can get master’s degrees tailored to building leadership competencies within specific fields.
What is a Master’s in Medical Leadership (MML)
A master’s in medical leadership is a brand-new program scheduled to launch in the Fall of 2024 at the Muhlenberg College School of Graduate Studies. It’s designed for frontline clinicians with patient care experience who are ready to move into managerial or leadership roles within a physician group, hospital, or health system.
To create our MML curriculum, we engaged an Advisory Committee that includes clinical leaders from local health systems and the military. Together, we built an immersive learning journey with a format tailored for executives. It comprises ten courses, each eight weeks long, delivered exclusively online to fit healthcare professionals’ busy schedules. Participants can earn an MML degree in 24 months.
In addition to online courses, the MML program will include an annual in-person symposium where we’ll bring together students, faculty and guest speakers for learning and networking. Each symposium will focus on a topic of current interest to those in healthcare.
Medical leaders will be engaged as faculty in our MML program, helping each student develop a personal plan to become an effective leader. The program is a perfect option for physicians, nurses, physician assistants, dentists, therapists, pharmacists and mental health providers who want to create strategies to improve the health of tens of thousands of patients.
What is a Master’s in Organizational Leadership (MOL)
What if you work outside healthcare and want to improve your leadership abilities? The master’s in organizational leadership program will help you build core competencies to lead teams, manage change, and make strategic decisions in any line of business—insurance, transportation, warehousing, or human resources.
While the MML focuses on healthcare-specific leadership, an MOL takes a broader view, diving into financial operations, workforce planning and sustainable competitive performance. Students will learn creative ways to address significant business challenges, such as building a more resilient supply chain or launching an effective workforce retention strategy.
The MOL program includes ten courses, each eight weeks long, delivered in a hybrid learning format. You can earn your MOL degree in 24 months.
Why choose Muhlenberg College for leadership development?
One of the hallmarks of our graduate programs at Muhlenberg College is how we create personal connections between students and faculty. During our MOL and MML programs, students will learn from faculty and guest speakers who bring real-world experience into the classroom. Students tell us these highly personalized experiences are the most valuable part of their educational journey.
At Muhlenberg, we continually survey our students, evaluate the business environment, and update our programs accordingly. For example, we’ve recently identified an increased need for experienced leaders among nonprofit organizations in the Lehigh Valley. So, we’re integrating a concentration in nonprofit leadership into our MOL program for students who want to help fill the void.
If you’re ready to become a change-making leader and believe an MOL or MML degree can help you, contact Muhlenberg College of Graduate Studies today.
If you’re ready to start your own personal journey, schedule a time to talk with an advisor at Muhlenberg today.
Learn more by...
About the Muhlenberg College School of Graduate Studies
The Muhlenberg College School of Graduate Studies offers a variety of post-baccalaureate certificates and master’s degrees aimed at enhancing intellectual and career development through challenging coursework grounded in the liberal arts. With a mix of graduate certificate pathways and master’s degrees aligned with workforce and economic trends, the Muhlenberg College School of Graduate Studies enables students to prepare for professional work and career advancement, with a focus on leadership and innovation.