Do you know what’s the significant difference between a manager and a leader?  Do you find that people at work, including HR, use those words interchangeably?  Me too!  I had no clue there was a difference until I got my Masters in Management & Leadership at Pepperdine.  I thought they added the two words because… it made the degree sound more impressive.

If there was a difference, I thought a leader was someone that was a Senior Vice President or higher.  The “Executive Leadership.”

However, I quickly learned there’s a significant difference.  And that most people regardless of title are really “managers.”

By the end of my degree, I put together a cheat sheet (below) to note the differences.  I’ve determined that my mission is to be a great leader, whether as the “boss,” the “peer” or the “parent.”

Question: Which leader trait is your favorite and why? You can leave a comment below.