Manager or Leader: Which Title Should You Use on Your Profile?

A client recently told me that "on LinkedIn" it seems more fashionable to be a Leader than a Manager. Naturally, she wanted to hear my opinion on the matter, although she clearly would have preferred to describe herself as a leader rather than a manager.
The problem, as I see it, is that you don't declare yourself a leader. You are recognised as a leader by your team or your community, based on the values you manage to convey through everything you do.
You can be a leader without necessarily being a manager, just as you can be a manager without being a leader.

Official job classifications don't include a "Leader" role, because such a role would need objective, measurable characteristics attached to it. And, as you might guess, we'd find that it is identical to that of a Manager. The difference between a Manager and a Leader isn't a "technical" one: it doesn't lie in the job description, responsibilities or roles. The difference lies in personal values, attitude, and the ability to communicate with and motivate the people around you, not just to reach their goals, but to do so in an exceptional way (faster, more cost-effectively, by finding innovative solutions, and so on).

I have met managers who deliver results, hit business targets, stay on schedule and within budget, and do all of this without any particular gift for connecting with their team. They simply know the craft of management very well and efficiently carry out the daily routine, the recipe for success in their industry. They don't give motivational speeches, they don't share memorable personal examples, and they don't go out of their way to encourage the team's development. That doesn't make them any less valuable to their companies, nor any less sought after by competitors or other employers. Not all of us are, or can be, Leaders. But all of us can achieve excellence in management if we choose the path of learning, dedication and hard work.

And if we look at it from the perspective of a recruiter reading CVs or online profiles, I'm confident they would prefer an honest approach from a candidate.

Ultimately, whatever you write in your LinkedIn headline, you are a Leader not because you say so, but because others believe it.