Ask Difference

Head vs. Manager — What's the Difference?

By Fiza Rafique & Urooj Arif — Updated on April 16, 2024
A head oversees an entire department or function within an organization, focusing on strategic direction and leadership, while a manager handles the day-to-day operations and supervision of a team within a department.
Head vs. Manager — What's the Difference?

Difference Between Head and Manager

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Key Differences

The term "head," such as a department head, generally refers to a senior-level role responsible for overseeing an entire department or area within an organization. In contrast, a manager typically has a more hands-on role, focusing on managing people, projects, and resources on a daily basis.
A head is usually involved in setting strategic goals, making high-level decisions, and leading major initiatives, whereas a manager often works to implement these strategies, managing team performance and ensuring operational efficiency.
Heads are expected to provide vision and direction, steering their departments toward long-term objectives, while managers are often more involved in tactical, short-term execution.
The relationship between a head and a manager is hierarchical, with managers typically reporting to a head or another senior role, ensuring that departmental goals align with organizational strategies.
While heads may focus on broader organizational impact and cross-departmental collaboration, managers are usually more immersed in solving specific issues within their teams or projects.
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Comparison Chart

Role Focus

Strategic oversight and leadership.
Day-to-day operations and supervision.

Decision Making

High-level, strategic decisions.
Tactical, operational decisions.

Scope of Authority

Departmental or organizational-wide.
Team or project-specific.

Key Responsibilities

Setting vision, aligning department goals with company strategy.
Implementing strategies, managing team performance.

Typical Interaction

Broader organizational impact, inter-departmental.
Specific to team or departmental issues.

Compare with Definitions

Head

A senior leader in charge of a department or division.
As the head of development, she outlines the department's strategic direction.

Manager

Solves immediate operational issues.
The manager addressed the workflow bottleneck by reallocating tasks.

Head

Influences company policies and growth.
He, as the head of finance, played a key role in the fiscal restructuring.

Manager

Responsible for managing resources and schedules.
The project manager ensures that resources are allocated effectively for timely completion.

Head

Responsible for overarching goals and strategies.
The head of marketing introduced a new brand strategy for the company.

Manager

Handles the recruitment and training of staff.
He often interviews candidates to fill positions within his team.

Head

Leads and motivates top-level managers or department leads.
The head of operations regularly meets with managers to ensure alignment.

Manager

Supervises and directs a team or project within a department.
She manages the sales team, focusing on daily targets and performance.

Head

Represents their department within the broader corporate structure.
The head of HR is involved in high-level decisions affecting company culture.

Manager

Reports to department heads or senior management.
Monthly reports on team performance are submitted to the department head.

Head

The head is the part of an organism which usually includes the ears, brain, forehead, cheeks, chin, eyes, nose, and mouth, each of which aid in various sensory functions such as sight, hearing, smell, and taste, respectively. Some very simple animals may not have a head, but many bilaterally symmetric forms do, regardless of size.

Manager

One who directs a business or other enterprise.

Head

The upper part of the human body, or the front or upper part of the body of an animal, typically separated from the rest of the body by a neck, and containing the brain, mouth, and sense organs.

Manager

One who controls resources and expenditures, as of a household.

Head

A thing resembling a head either in form or in relation to a whole.

Manager

One who is in charge of the business affairs of an entertainer.

Head

The front, forward, or upper part or end of something.

Manager

One who is in charge of the training and performance of an athlete or team.

Head

A person in charge of something; a director or leader
The head of the Dutch Catholic Church

Manager

A student who is in charge of the equipment and records of a school or college team.

Head

A person considered as a numerical unit
They paid fifty pounds a head

Manager

(management) A person whose job is to manage something, such as a business, a restaurant, or a sports team.

Head

A component in an audio, video, or information system by which information is transferred from an electrical signal to the recording medium, or vice versa.

Manager

The head coach.

Head

A body of water kept at a particular height in order to provide a supply at sufficient pressure
An 8 m head of water in the shafts

Manager

(music) An administrator, for a singer or group. en

Head

A toilet on a ship or boat
They were cleaning out the heads

Manager

(software) A window or application whose purpose is to give the user the control over some aspect of the system.

Head

The word that governs all the other words in a phrase in which it is used, having the same grammatical function as the whole phrase.

Manager

One who manages; a conductor or director; as, the manager of a theater.
A skillful manager of the rabble.

Head

A superficial deposit of rock fragments, formed at the edge of an ice sheet by repeated freezing and thawing and then moved downhill.

Manager

A person who conducts business or household affairs with economy and frugality; a good economist.
A prince of great aspiring thoughts; in the main, a manager of his treasure.

Head

A group of pheasants
It is easy to get up a head of pheasants with the aid of good keepers

Manager

A contriver; an intriguer.

Head

Chief; principal
The head waiter

Manager

Someone who controls resources and expenditures

Head

Be in the leading position on
The St George's Day procession was headed by the mayor

Manager

(sports) someone in charge of training an athlete or a team

Head

Give a title or caption to
An article headed ‘The Protection of Human Life’

Head

Move in a specified direction
He was heading for the exit
We were headed in the wrong direction

Head

Shoot or pass (the ball) with the head
A corner kick that Moody headed into the net

Head

Lop off the upper part or branches of (a plant or tree)
The willow is headed every three or four years

Head

(of a lettuce or cabbage) form a head.

Head

The uppermost or forwardmost part of the body of a vertebrate, containing the brain and the eyes, ears, nose, mouth, and jaws.

Head

The analogous part of an invertebrate organism.

Head

The length or height of such a part
The horse lost by a head. She is two heads taller than he is.

Head

The seat of the faculty of reason; intelligence, intellect, or mind
I did the figuring in my head.

Head

Mental ability or aptitude
She has a good head for mathematics.

Head

Freedom of choice or action
Give the child his head and see how well he solves the problems.

Head

A habitual drug user. Often used in combination
A dopehead.

Head

An enthusiast. Often used in combination
A chilihead.

Head

A person considered foolish or contemptible. Often used in combination
A chowderhead.

Head

A portrait or representation of a person's head.

Head

Often heads (used with a sing. verb) The side of a coin having the principal design, often the profile of a political leader's head.

Head

(Informal) A headache
Had a bad head early this morning.

Head

An individual; a person
Charged five dollars a head.

Head

Pl. head A single animal
20 head of cattle.

Head

A person who leads, rules, or is in charge; a leader, chief, or director
The head of the corporation.

Head

A headmaster or headmistress.

Head

The foremost or leading position
Marched at the head of the parade.

Head

A headwaiter.

Head

The difference in depth of a liquid at two given points.

Head

The measure of pressure at the lower point expressed in terms of this difference.

Head

The pressure exerted by a liquid or gas
A head of steam.

Head

The liquid or gas exerting the pressure.

Head

The froth or foam that rises to the top in pouring an effervescent liquid, such as beer.

Head

The tip of an abscess, boil, or pimple, in which pus forms.

Head

A turning point; a crisis
Bring matters to a head.

Head

A projection, weight, or fixture at the end of an elongated object
The head of a pin.
A head of land overlooking the harbor.

Head

The working end of a tool or implement
The head of a hammer.

Head

The looped part at the end a lacrosse stick, to which the webbing is attached.

Head

The part of an explosive device that carries the explosive; a warhead.

Head

The part of a stringed instrument where the strings are wound; a tuning head.

Head

A tuning machine.

Head

The rounded proximal end of a long bone
The head of the femur.

Head

The end of a muscle that is attached to the less movable part of the skeleton.

Head

An attachment to or part of a machine that holds or contains the operative device.

Head

The magnetic head of a tape recorder or VCR.

Head

The device in a magnetic disk or tape drive that enables it to read data from and write data to the disk or tape.

Head

A rounded compact mass, as of leaves or buds
A head of cabbage.

Head

(Botany) A flower head.

Head

The uppermost part; the top
Place the appropriate name at the head of each column.

Head

The end considered the most important
Sat at the head of the table.

Head

Either end of an object, such as a drum, whose two ends are interchangeable.

Head

The forward part of a vessel.

Head

The top part or upper edge of a sail.

Head

A toilet, especially on a ship.

Head

A passage or gallery in a coal mine.

Head

The top of a book or page.

Head

A headline or heading.

Head

A distinct topic or category
Under the head of recent Spanish history.

Head

Headway; progress.

Head

(Linguistics) The word determining the grammatical category of a constituent, often establishing relations of concord or agreement (such as subject-verb agreement) with other constituents.

Head

Of, relating to, or intended for the head. Often used in combination
Headshaking.
Headwrap.

Head

Foremost in rank or importance
The head librarian.

Head

Placed at the top or the front
The head name on the list.

Head

(Slang) Of, relating to, or for drugs or drug users.

Head

To be in charge of; lead
The minister headed the committee.

Head

To be in the first or foremost position of
Collins heads the list of job candidates.

Head

To aim, point, or turn in a certain direction
Headed the team of horses up the hill.

Head

To remove the head or top of.

Head

(Sports) To hit (a soccer ball) in the air with one's head.

Head

To provide with a head
Head each column with a number.
Headed the flagpole with a golden ball.

Head

To proceed or go in a certain direction
Head for town.

Head

To form a head, as lettuce or cabbage.

Head

To originate, as a stream or river; rise.

Head

(countable) The part of the body of an animal or human which contains the brain, mouth, and main sense organs.
Be careful when you pet that dog on the head; it may bite.

Head

(people) To do with heads.

Head

(animals) To do with heads.

Head

(countable) The topmost, foremost, or leading part.
What does it say at the head of the page?

Head

The end of a table.

Head

(countable) The principal operative part of a machine or tool.

Head

The foam that forms on top of beer or other carbonated beverages.
Pour me a fresh beer; this one has no head.
He never learned how to pour a glass of beer so it didn't have too much head.

Head

(engineering) The end cap of a cylindrically-shaped pressure vessel.

Head

(coopering) The end cap of a cask or other barrel.

Head

(geology) The uppermost part of a valley.

Head

Deposits near the top of a geological succession.

Head

(journalism) headline

Head

(medicine) The end of an abscess where pus collects.

Head

(music) The headstock of a guitar.

Head

(nautical) A leading component.

Head

(British) A headland.

Head

A leader or expert.

Head

The place of honour, or of command; the most important or foremost position; the front.

Head

(metonymy) Leader; chief; mastermind.
I'd like to speak to the head of the department.
Police arrested the head of the gang in a raid last night.

Head

(metonymy) A headmaster or headmistress.
I was called into the head's office to discuss my behaviour.

Head

A person with an extensive knowledge of hip hop.
Only true heads know this.

Head

A significant or important part.

Head

A beginning or end, a protuberance.

Head

A component.

Head

Headway; progress.
We are having a difficult time making head against this wind.

Head

Topic; subject.
We will consider performance issues under the head of future improvements.

Head

Denouement; crisis.
These isses are going to come to a head today.

Head

(fluid dynamics) Pressure and energy.

Head

A buildup of fluid pressure, often quantified as pressure head.
Let the engine build up a good head of steam.
How much head do you have at the Glens Falls feeder dam?

Head

The difference in elevation between two points in a column of fluid, and the resulting pressure of the fluid at the lower point.

Head

More generally, energy in a mass of fluid divided by its weight.

Head

(slang) The glans penis.

Head

A heavy or habitual user of illicit drugs.

Head

(obsolete) Power; armed force.

Head

Of, relating to, or intended for the head.

Head

Foremost in rank or importance.
The head cook

Head

Placed at the top or the front.

Head

Coming from in front.
Head sea
Head wind

Head

(transitive) To be in command of. (See also head up.)
Who heads the board of trustees?
To head an army, an expedition, or a riot

Head

(transitive) To come at the beginning or front of; to commence.
A group of clowns headed the procession.
The most important items headed the list.

Head

(transitive) To strike with the head; as in soccer, to head the ball

Head

(intransitive) To move in a specified direction.
We are going to head up North for our holiday.
We will head off tomorrow.
Next holiday we will head out West, or head to Chicago.
Right now I need to head into town to do some shopping.
I'm fed up working for a boss. I'm going to head out on my own, set up my own business.
Where does the train head to?

Head

(fishing) To remove the head from a fish.
The salmon are first headed and then scaled.

Head

(intransitive) To originate; to spring; to have its course, as a river.

Head

(intransitive) To form a head.
This kind of cabbage heads early.

Head

(transitive) To form a head to; to fit or furnish with a head.
To head a nail

Head

(transitive) To cut off the top of; to lop off.
To head trees

Head

To behead; to decapitate.

Head

To go in front of.
To head a drove of cattle
To head a person

Head

To get in the front of, so as to hinder or stop; to oppose.
The wind headed the ship and made progress difficult.

Head

(by extension) To check or restrain.

Head

To set on the head.
To head a cask

Head

The anterior or superior part of an animal, containing the brain, or chief ganglia of the nervous system, the mouth, and in the higher animals, the chief sensory organs; poll; cephalon.

Head

The uppermost, foremost, or most important part of an inanimate object; such a part as may be considered to resemble the head of an animal; often, also, the larger, thicker, or heavier part or extremity, in distinction from the smaller or thinner part, or from the point or edge; as, the head of a cane, a nail, a spear, an ax, a mast, a sail, a ship; that which covers and closes the top or the end of a hollow vessel; as, the head of a cask or a steam boiler.

Head

The place where the head should go; as, the head of a bed, of a grave, etc.; the head of a carriage, that is, the hood which covers the head.

Head

The most prominent or important member of any organized body; the chief; the leader; as, the head of a college, a school, a church, a state, and the like.
The heads of the chief sects of philosophy.
Your head I him appoint.

Head

The place or honor, or of command; the most important or foremost position; the front; as, the head of the table; the head of a column of soldiers.
An army of fourscore thousand troops, with the duke of Marlborough at the head of them.

Head

Each one among many; an individual; - often used in a plural sense; as, a thousand head of cattle.
It there be six millions of people, there are about four acres for every head.

Head

The seat of the intellect; the brain; the understanding; the mental faculties; as, a good head, that is, a good mind; it never entered his head, it did not occur to him; of his own head, of his own thought or will.
Men who had lost both head and heart.

Head

The source, fountain, spring, or beginning, as of a stream or river; as, the head of the Nile; hence, the altitude of the source, or the height of the surface, as of water, above a given place, as above an orifice at which it issues, and the pressure resulting from the height or from motion; sometimes also, the quantity in reserve; as, a mill or reservoir has a good head of water, or ten feet head; also, that part of a gulf or bay most remote from the outlet or the sea.

Head

A headland; a promontory; as, Gay Head.

Head

A separate part, or topic, of a discourse; a theme to be expanded; a subdivision; as, the heads of a sermon.

Head

Culminating point or crisis; hence, strength; force; height.
Ere foul sin, gathering head, shall break into corruption.
The indisposition which has long hung upon me, is at last grown to such a head, that it must quickly make an end of me or of itself.

Head

Power; armed force.
My lord, my lord, the French have gathered head.

Head

A headdress; a covering of the head; as, a laced head; a head of hair.

Head

An ear of wheat, barley, or of one of the other small cereals.

Head

A dense cluster of flowers, as in clover, daisies, thistles; a capitulum.

Head

The antlers of a deer.

Head

A rounded mass of foam which rises on a pot of beer or other effervescing liquor.

Head

Tiles laid at the eaves of a house.

Head

Principal; chief; leading; first; as, the head master of a school; the head man of a tribe; a head chorister; a head cook.

Head

To be at the head of; to put one's self at the head of; to lead; to direct; to act as leader to; as, to head an army, an expedition, or a riot.

Head

To form a head to; to fit or furnish with a head; as, to head a nail.

Head

To behead; to decapitate.

Head

To cut off the top of; to lop off; as, to head trees.

Head

To go in front of; to get in the front of, so as to hinder or stop; to oppose; hence, to check or restrain; as, to head a drove of cattle; to head a person; the wind heads a ship.

Head

To set on the head; as, to head a cask.

Head

To originate; to spring; to have its source, as a river.
A broad river, that heads in the great Blue Ridge.

Head

To go or point in a certain direction; to tend; as, how does the ship head?

Head

To form a head; as, this kind of cabbage heads early.

Head

The upper part of the human body or the front part of the body in animals; contains the face and brains;
He stuck his head out the window

Head

A single domestic animal;
200 head of cattle

Head

That which is responsible for one's thoughts and feelings; the seat of the faculty of reason;
His mind wandered
I couldn't get his words out of my head

Head

A person who is in charge;
The head of the whole operation

Head

The front of a military formation or procession;
The head of the column advanced boldly
They were at the head of the attack

Head

The pressure exerted by a fluid;
A head of steam

Head

The top of something;
The head of the stairs
The head of the page
The head of the list

Head

The source of water from which a stream arises;
They tracked him back toward the head of the stream

Head

(grammar) the word in a grammatical constituent that plays the same grammatical role as the whole constituent

Head

The tip of an abscess (where the pus accumulates)

Head

The length or height based on the size of a human or animal head;
He is two heads taller than his little sister
His horse won by a head

Head

A dense clusters of flowers or foliage;
A head of cauliflower
A head of lettuce

Head

The educator who has executive authority for a school;
She sent unruly pupils to see the principal

Head

An individual person;
Tickets are $5 per head

Head

A user of (usually soft) drugs;
The office was full of secret heads

Head

A rounded compact mass;
The head of a comet

Head

The foam or froth that accumulates at the top when you pour an effervescent liquid into a container;
The beer had a large head of foam

Head

The part in the front or nearest the viewer;
He was in the forefront
He was at the head of the column

Head

A difficult juncture;
A pretty pass
Matters came to a head yesterday

Head

Forward movement;
The ship made little headway against the gale

Head

A V-shaped mark at one end of an arrow pointer;
The point of the arrow was due north

Head

The subject matter at issue;
The question of disease merits serious discussion
Under the head of minor Roman poets

Head

A line of text serving to indicate what the passage below it is about;
The heading seemed to have little to do with the text

Head

The rounded end of a bone that bits into a rounded cavity in another bone to form a joint;
The head of the humerus

Head

That part of a skeletal muscle that is away from the bone that it moves

Head

(computer science) a tiny electromagnetic coil and metal pole used to write and read magnetic patterns on a disk

Head

(usually plural) an obverse side of a coin that bears the representation of a person's head;
Call heads or tails!

Head

The striking part of a tool;
The head of the hammer

Head

(nautical) a toilet on board a boat or ship

Head

A projection out from one end;
The head of the nail
A pinhead is the head of a pin

Head

A membrane that is stretched taut over a drum

Head

Oral-genital stimulation;
They say he gives good head

Head

To go or travel towards;
Where is she heading
We were headed for the mountains

Head

Be in charge of;
Who is heading this project?

Head

Travel in front of; go in advance of others;
The procession was headed by John

Head

Be the first or leading member of (a group) and excel;
This student heads the class

Head

Direct the course; determine the direction of travelling

Head

Take its rise;
These rivers head from a mountain range in the Himalayas

Head

Be in the front of or on top of;
The list was headed by the name of the president

Head

Form a head or come or grow to a head;
The wheat headed early this year

Head

Remove the head of;
Head the fish

Common Curiosities

Who typically reports to a head in an organizational structure?

Managers or team leaders within a department typically report directly to a head.

What is the primary role of a head in an organization?

The primary role of a head is to provide strategic leadership and direction for a department or function within the organization.

What challenges do managers face?

Managers often face challenges such as resource limitations, meeting tight deadlines, and managing team dynamics.

What are key managerial skills?

Key managerial skills include team management, problem-solving, operational planning, and effective communication.

How does a head contribute to organizational growth?

A head contributes by setting strategic directions, initiating growth-focused projects, and ensuring that departmental activities align with broader business goals.

Is the role of a head more challenging than that of a manager?

Both roles have their unique challenges; however, a head faces broader strategic challenges while a manager deals with more immediate operational issues.

How does the responsibility of a head differ from a manager?

A head focuses on strategic planning and high-level decision-making, while a manager concentrates on tactical and operational execution.

What skills are important for a head to have?

Strategic thinking, leadership, decision-making, and the ability to align department goals with organizational objectives are crucial for a head.

What does a manager do?

A manager oversees the daily operations of a team, handling supervision, project management, and problem resolution.

Can a manager become a head?

Yes, a manager can progress to become a head by gaining experience, demonstrating leadership skills, and understanding strategic business management.

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Previous Comparison
Intellect vs. Reason

Author Spotlight

Written by
Fiza Rafique
Fiza Rafique is a skilled content writer at AskDifference.com, where she meticulously refines and enhances written pieces. Drawing from her vast editorial expertise, Fiza ensures clarity, accuracy, and precision in every article. Passionate about language, she continually seeks to elevate the quality of content for readers worldwide.
Co-written by
Urooj Arif
Urooj is a skilled content writer at Ask Difference, known for her exceptional ability to simplify complex topics into engaging and informative content. With a passion for research and a flair for clear, concise writing, she consistently delivers articles that resonate with our diverse audience.

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