Leadership Vs Supervision: What Are The Differences?

While leadership and supervision are closely related and interconnected, they are not always one and the same thing. A supervisor is an individual who oversees a project and the work of others while a leader is someone who guides a group or organization in the direction toward a vision. They motivate others to achieve goals and reach their full potential.

Think of Nelson Mandela when he stood up for what was right despite imprisonment, he inspired a vision for a better South Africa. He motivated South Africans to keep fighting till they were liberated. In this case, he depicted leadership.

But what are the key differences?

Here is a simple breakdown;

Responsibilities

One major difference between a supervisor and a leader is the types of tasks they complete. Supervisors complete technical and administrative duties. They also make sure their team meets organizational standards and completes their projects on time. A leader’s job responsibilities involve acting as an intermediary between the supervisor and other team members. They assign tasks to certain team members and create a timeline to follow.

 See it this way; a leader will show you how it’s done while a supervisor will tell you what to do.

Focus

Another difference between a supervisor and a leader is their primary goals. Supervisors tend to focus on an organization’s daily tasks and creating optimization. Leaders tend to concentrate more on the resources and goals of their team or organization.  A supervisor will ensure that the tasks are done and not worry about how and when you did them. A leader will be concerned about the challenges you faced while doing the tasks and find ways to motivate you to do better. 

Position in an organization

Leaders and supervisors have different levels of authority. A supervisor is a type of management position responsible for the results of their team members. Organizations hire them to fill a specific job. Supervisors tend to have more control in the development of work rules, training plans, performance evaluations and other related organization regulations.

While leaders also hold a higher level of authority than traditional employees, they are non-management positions. Companies often appoint these individuals informally based on their leadership skills. As a result, many employees may be leaders, but only a few are supervisors.

Experience

Supervisors tend to have in-depth experience in leading others through the completion of related courses and training. During these programs, they learn techniques for business management and office administration. They may have less experienced in their team’s daily duties and subject area.

Leaders are subject area experts who have hands-on experience doing what the team does. Typically they start as an employee with the team and earn the title as leader after demonstrating their capabilities. This can make it easier for leaders to relate to employees on job tasks.

Strategic direction

A supervisor helps develop a strategic direction while a leader shares it with their team members. This means that a supervisor has more of an input in the creation of visions and decision-making of an organization than a leader. In some smaller organizations, leaders may have more of an influence.

Visionary

A leader tends to have the bigger picture of how things should be done. They will inspire, speak out and take action. A good example is the late great Indian revolutionist, Mahatma Gandhi. Gandhi is a good example of leadership because of his willingness to call for a stoppage of protests. The influence of Gandhi over the people of India was leadership. The Indians who assisted Gandhi in implementing the stoppage of protests illustrate supervision.

Key takeaways

What kind of leader do you want to be? Do you want to be one who barks orders or one who inspires and motivates?

Even for the best leaders and supervisors, there is always room for growth. Learn from your mistakes and always find ways to keep improving. Consider working with mentors, reading books, or better yet, sign up for this Leadership & Management Development Course and charter your path to being the best!