Are you a Team Leader or a Project Manager?

The role of a project manager and team leader sounds very similar to many people, but both can have different roles within a business. The manager of a company is fully dependent on control and fully focuses on the systems and structures which are put in place by the CEO.  Managers also tell their staff what to do and how you should do it. These elements can be quite the opposite if a team leader is control. The team leader is more creative by selling ideas which motivates the team to be part of it. The role of a team leader is to direct his or her employees to the final goal while guiding them from beginning to end of a project. A good project manager will instruct his staff what tasks are needed to be set while a team leader is more of an encouraging person trying to boost the confidence of the group.

If you like sticking to objectives and goals, you are more of a manager. On the other hand, if you are a person that likes to think of different ways to work new ideas into a project, those are the traits of a team leader. Managers also like to minimise as much risk as possible. Time is money in a manager’s mind and they believe that the sooner a project gets done, the better. A good team leader is more of a risk taker, trying new ideas that could potentially be worthwhile.

When it comes to identifying a problem, most project managers work incredibly hard to fix the problem straight away (before the CEO comes in to blame them!). When a team leader sees a problem, they see an opportunity to work with the team, so that they can learn from what they have done.

Although a project manager and team leader have different characteristics, they are both integral to a businesses. Both roles can work well together to create successful projects, with the manager setting out deadlines and goals and the team leader having the freedom to be create and challenge the ideas that are put across while encouraging the group to meet their deadlines.

If you are looking to build up your skills in becoming a project manager or team leader, there are a variety of courses that you can take. The PRINCE2 Training qualifications are the most popular in the industry as they help you to understand industry standard project management techniques that can improve any project and any working environment. There are loads of professional training providers who can provide this you this course but can only provide this in London. Training Deals delivers this course in over 50 venues nationwide so that you can take the course in a location near you. This saves you time and costs when travelling which is a huge benefit in today’s economy.

There you have it! Are you a Project Manager or a Team Leader?