As we explore team management and what it means to our fellow members of leadership, we also have to compare the differences between a team lead vs a manager. While these terms are often used interchangeably, it’s important to understand just how different they are.
A team leader is on the ground ensuring that progress is made, team members are satisfied, and everyone’s needs are being met. A team manager, and a project manager, have different goals. They are responsible for enabling project success and keeping momentum in line with the vision. Those intentions don’t always align—we’d like to explain why.
In this post, we cover the following.
- What is a team manager?
- What is a team leader?
- Is a team leader a manager?
- Leadership in project management
- Team Lead vs. Manager
- Characteristics of Team Lead
- Characteristics of Team Manager
- How they come together
We will also explain why you can’t really get away with having one person fill both of these roles by creating a cyborg of responsibilities, as so many companies tend to do.
What is a Team Manager?
A team manager is a person who holds a leadership role that is generally distanced from the team. They aren’t involved in the day-to-day operations of the team. If anything, they might go over progress weekly or biweekly to ensure progress is meeting organizational goals.
They oversee, guide, and strategize. A huge focus of a team manager’s work is long-term planning. The type of planning they do depends on the type of manager they are, which can include
- Project managers – overseeing the progress of multiple teams for the sake of completing the project
- Program managers – overseeing the completion of multiple projects by overseeing the general progress of each team involved at a distance
- Product manager – working with and overseeing the progress of multiple teams to ensure product development or design meets market depends and customer needs
Overall, team managers work with upper management, stakeholders, other departments, and team leads to ensure business objectives are being met. You’ve probably noticed that most in a management position feel like they always have something else to get to. They have to check in with a lot of different groups and teams at all different times for all sorts of purposes.
That can be a tricky job. In some settings, that role simply looks like planning, budgeting, and strategizing. In others, it can look like being the bad guy whenever there is an issue.
What is a Team Leader?
A team lead is a bit closer to the ground, compared to the team manager. They generally work closely with team members to support progress and task completion. Their role is not as strategic as a team manager because their concerns lie with the best ways to meet daily challenges.
On the chain of command, a team lead is lower than management. Their focus is centered on whatever the team is facing. They are not looking up and deciding what they could be focusing on next. Team leads, and leaders are also doing what the name suggests—leading the team through the day.
Another way to consider the team lead position is by thinking about any team you’ve ever been a part of. Wasn’t there that one person who seemed to be more comfortable butting heads with management? They weren’t afraid to speak up, ask for things, and advocate as needed. Over time, other team members learn that they can turn to them with issues they don’t feel comfortable putting in front of management. When someone’s grandmother was in the hospital, that person was willing to help with the workload and put together a care package. That person was your unofficial team lead.
Is a Team Leader a Manager?
Honestly? No, it’s not. While the terms are used interchangeably all the time, it’s inaccurate as they mean very different things. A team lead is there on shift or on the job site, learning about the members, helping them face individual challenges, and communicating those needs to the manager. They are also one of the first points of contact for issues between employees and customers.
A team lead is a more subtle supervisory role that is primarily goal-focused, but it’s not as overseeing or specific as a team manager role.
A Note on Leadership in Project Management
Genrally speaking, there are two types of ways business operations function. They are either continual or project-based. The “manager” and “team lead” positions are present in both.
On a project, a team lead is usually helping a specific task-oriented group complete a single assignment. The team is going to see them a lot more often than they would see the manager. For example, when constructing a house the concrete team will have someone leading that effort who is in talks with the manager, but the team itself might not see much of the manager.
On the other hand, a team that is continuously working outside of the bounds of a project might have multiple team leaders.
Managers, specifically project managers, often go from one team to another trying to keep everyone in line with the bigger picture. They’ll take that information and pass it up to those overseeing the progress of multiple projects and portfolios.
Team Lead vs. Manager, The Key Differences
If we were to sum up the biggest differences between team leads and managers, it would be the following two sentences.
- A team lead (or leader) is focused on each team member’s output, capabilities, and skills as it relates to completing the task.
- A team manager is focused on each team’s output, how people are distributed across the project or process, and how resources are allocated.
Technically, both of these positions are responsible for leading teams. They just do their jobs in different ways. It’s important that teams have both. They suit each other and are commonly used for a reason. One person can not be both the advocate of the organization’s needs and that of the team.
Below, we’ve broken down those ways in even more detail.
A team lead’s position is responsible for
- Task completion
- Individual progress and well-being
- The work produced
- Assisting others
- Advanced technical knowledge
- Individual advancement and improvement
- Promoting the ground-level success of the organization
- Encouraging and inspiring individuals to succeed
- Cultivating a team culture and community
A team manager’s position is responsible for
- Organizing the reports and data from multiple teams
- Overseeing lead success
- Planning of direction and goal-setting
- Problem-solving on a department or organization level
- Supporting continuous improvement and growth of teams
In addition, the interactions managers tend to have are with completely different people than team leads.
Characteristics of Team Lead
In a team, the team lead is the most senior-level position. It’s the most respected, and when someone has this title, there is an implication of reverence. They are keenly aware of the team’s feelings, needs, and issues, and they work to improve the team’s understanding of their niche.
The people in this position act as mentors, are heavily involved in the review process, and collaborate closely with other team members. They act as a representative of the team on most or all matters in the face of management
Team Leader Roles and Responsibilities
The usual roles and responsibilities of a team leader include
- Supporting the team in the form of encouragement, motivation, and creating a safe working environment
- Listening to the comments, complaints, and concerns of team members (as well as communicating them to management)
- Setting goals and delegating tasks depending on the strengths and weaknesses
- Forming and maintaining an understanding of each team member
- Providing continuous education and improvement opportunities
- Communicate both the goals of management and the elements required in the work
- Advocating for the needs of the team to management
Ultimately, a team leader’s goal is to make sure the team is cared for while ensuring progress and quality output.
Skills Needed To Be A Team Lead
If you are considering a candidate for a team lead position, we recommend they have the following.
- Interpersonal skills that allow them to navigate relationships and cultures
- Communication skills needed to lead through misunderstandings between team members, management, and customers
- A personality suited to lead and face adversity
- The ability to delegate effectively, manage resources (such as time and money), and set priorities for fellow teammates
- A willingness to learn new skills and get their hands dirty
- Teaching skills that can be used for helping others improve and move up
- Attention to detail and social skills that will help them understand and communicate team needs to upper management
When we make these lists, we intend them to be general. You know what your team needs better than a random list on the internet. Feel free to adjust the list based on your needs. Consider the experience of your team, what tasks they take down, and what their expectations of a leader are. If you are bringing in a lead from outside the company, be sure they can lead.
If you are planning to have a current team member step into the lead position, it might be best to choose the person the team would like. You have a resource in them. Ask them who they would prefer to be a representative of their needs to upper management.
Characteristics of a Manager or Project Manager
Above the team, sits a manager. They are the ones providing direction, deciding on tasks the team will complete, and studying different work systems. Depending on the circumstances of the organization, you’ll see different kinds of managers.
They deal with all the topics outside of the actual work, including annual reviews, HR topics, career direction, time off, and professional progression. Also, they likely have some level of veto power (but a good manager knows to use it rarely).
Manager Roles and Responsibilities
The usual roles and responsibilities of a (project) manager include
- Predict productivity
- Analyze and work towards the company’s big-picture goals
- Set goals that support the long-term goals of the organization
- Make personnel decisions (hiring, firing, promotion)
- Organize the overall running of the company
- Support teams, leaders, and other managers wherever possible
Skills Needed To Be A Manager
If you are considering a candidate for a manager position, we recommend they display the following skills.
- The ability to represent upper management to teams and team leaders
- Communication skills to explain company objectives, decisions, and vision
- Coaching skills to encourage the professional improvement of others
- The ability to manage budgets and resources to balance company and team needs
- The ability to compromise and find middle ground
- Assign tasks and implement deadlines
- Encourage upper management to buy-in to team needs
You’ll understand what you need better than a random list on the internet, so adjust these expectations as needed.
Our biggest recommendation regarding choosing the right manager is finding someone who prioritizes balance. They will never be the team’s favorite person. They will never be management’s favorite person, so they have to be okay with sitting somewhere in the middle. Also, management positions can easily feel like having a firefighting job you never signed up for.
How It All Comes Together
When your team enjoys both an intuitive, understanding, and determined team lead and a manager who is able to balance their understanding of the team needs (represented by the team lead) and those of the company, you’ll see a level of commitment and efficiency that would have been unimaginable before.
Both managers and teams alike need to recognize that they really cannot be both.
Yes, they both need to be able to motivate team members, communicate, and manage/control processes, but the team nor the company will benefit if one person is asked to be both. The team will never fully trust someone who expresses the needs of the organization. Upper management will never fully trust someone who is supposed to prioritize the needs of the team.
But by having one person dedicated to the needs of each faction, everyone will be met where they are.
Let New Ideas Find You
Here at A.McBeth, Inc., we know it’s better to open our thinking caps, receive new ideas, and use them occasionally than act like we know everything. Project management is pretty uncomfortable with that attitude, so we are offering up new (and old) ideas all month long, so sign up to be notified the next time one pops up. You won’t want to miss it!
