Manage vs. Succeed — What's the Difference?
By Tayyaba Rehman & Maham Liaqat — Updated on April 15, 2024
Managing involves overseeing and controlling processes or tasks, while succeeding refers to achieving set goals or attaining success.
Difference Between Manage and Succeed
Table of Contents
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Key Differences
Managing is the act of handling, directing, or controlling something, such as a project or team, focusing on the process and the means to keep things orderly and functional. Whereas, succeeding involves accomplishing a desired aim or result, highlighting the outcome of efforts rather than the means.
In a business context, management includes planning, organizing, leading, and controlling resources to achieve organizational objectives effectively. On the other hand, success in business is measured by the achievement of specific goals, such as profit margins, market share, or customer satisfaction.
Managing effectively requires skills like strategic thinking, communication, and problem-solving to adapt and respond to daily challenges. Whereas, succeeding often requires not only effective management but also factors like timing, innovation, and sometimes even luck.
Managers are essential for maintaining stability and efficiency within an organization, ensuring that operations run smoothly. On the other hand, success is often celebrated as an indicator of growth and achievement, reflecting the culmination of effective management and strategic execution.
The concept of managing can sometimes be seen as maintaining the status quo or minimizing risks, focusing on the preservation of current systems. Whereas, succeeding often involves breaking new ground or achieving beyond the expected standards, pushing boundaries beyond management.
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Comparison Chart
Focus
Process, means of doing things
Outcome, end results
Skills Required
Strategic planning, leadership, problem-solving
Innovation, perseverance, strategic execution
Measurement
Efficiency, resource allocation, process control
Achievement of goals, growth, benchmarks
Role in Business
Essential for daily operations and stability
Reflects growth, achievement, and performance
Perception
Often about maintaining order
Associated with advancement and exceeding goals
Compare with Definitions
Manage
To handle, direct, or control an operation or task.
She manages the team effectively, ensuring all deadlines are met.
Succeed
To attain success in a particular project, endeavor, or situation.
He succeeded in securing a crucial deal for his company.
Manage
To make and keep compliant.
She manages the budget within tight financial constraints.
Succeed
To turn out well; to thrive.
The new technology has succeeded beyond expectations in the market.
Manage
To achieve one's purpose despite difficulties.
Despite limited resources, they managed to complete the project on time.
Succeed
To achieve a desired aim or result.
She succeeded in her goal to become a lawyer.
Manage
To exert administrative, executive, or supervisory direction of.
He manages several projects aimed at environmental conservation.
Succeed
To follow or come next after someone in a position, office, or title.
She succeeded her father as the company’s CEO.
Manage
To take charge or care of something.
He manages his time well, balancing work and personal life.
Succeed
To accomplish what is attempted or intended.
He succeeded in his attempt to break the world record.
Manage
Be in charge of (a business, organization, or undertaking); run
Their elder son managed the farm
Succeed
To come next in time or order
She fell sick, and what succeeded was an outpouring of concern from her fans.
Manage
Succeed in surviving or in achieving something despite difficult circumstances; cope
Catherine managed on five hours' sleep a night
Succeed
To replace another in office or position
The prince succeeded to the throne.
Manage
To have charge of; direct or administer
Manage a company.
Manage a portfolio of assets.
Succeed
To accomplish something desired or intended
"Success is counted sweetest / By those who ne'er succeed" (Emily Dickinson).
Manage
To exert control over; regulate or limit toward a desired end
Manage the news to minimize political repercussions.
Managed smokestack emissions.
Succeed
(Obsolete) To pass to a person by way of inheritance.
Manage
To direct or supervise (employees or other staff)
She manages 20 people in the department.
Succeed
To come after (something) in time or order; follow
Winter succeeds autumn.
Manage
To act as the manager of (a performer, for example).
Succeed
To come after and take the place of
The heir succeeded the king.
Manage
To succeed in accomplishing, achieving, or producing, especially with difficulty
Managed to get a promotion.
Managed a polite goodbye.
Succeed
(transitive) To follow something in sequence or time.
Autumn succeeds summer.
Manage
To succeed in coping or dealing with
A drug that improves patients' ability to manage their disease.
Succeed
(transitive) To replace or supplant someone in order vis-à-vis an office, position, or title.
The king's eldest son succeeds his father on the throne.
After a contentious election, Jones succeeded Smith as president of the republic.
Take the place of
Manage
To direct or conduct business affairs.
Succeed
(intransitive) To come after or follow; to be subsequent or consequent; often with to.
Manage
To continue to get along; carry on; cope
Learning how to manage on my own.
Succeed
(intransitive) To prevail in obtaining an intended objective or accomplishment; to prosper as a result or conclusion of a particular effort.
The persecution of any righteous practice has never succeeded in the face of history; in fact, it can expedite the collapse of the persecutory regime.
She succeeded in her efforts to repair the tank.
Manage
(transitive) To direct or be in charge of.
Succeed
(intransitive) To prosper or attain success and beneficial results in general.
Voted most likely to succeed
Manage
(transitive) To handle or control (a situation, job).
Succeed
To turn out, fare, do (well or ill).
Manage
(transitive) To handle with skill, wield (a tool, weapon etc.).
Succeed
(transitive) To support; to prosper; to promote or give success to.
Manage
(intransitive) To succeed at an attempt in spite of difficulty.
He managed to climb the tower.
Succeed
(intransitive) To descend, as an estate or an heirloom, in the same family; to devolve; often with to.
Manage
(ambitransitive) To achieve (something) without fuss, or without outside help.
It's a tough job, but I'll manage.
Succeed
To fall heir to; to inherit.
Manage
To manage to say; to say while fighting back embarrassment, laughter, etc.
"That's nice, dear!", she managed.
Succeed
To go down or near with to.
Manage
To train (a horse) in the manège; to exercise in graceful or artful action.
Succeed
To follow in order; to come next after; hence, to take the place of; as, the king's eldest son succeeds his father on the throne; autumn succeeds summer.
As he saw him nigh succeed.
Manage
(obsolete) To treat with care; to husband.
Succeed
To fall heir to; to inherit.
Manage
(obsolete) To bring about; to contrive.
Succeed
To come after; to be subsequent or consequent to; to follow; to pursue.
Destructive effects . . . succeeded the curse.
Manage
The act of managing or controlling something.
Succeed
To support; to prosper; to promote.
Succeed my wish and second my design.
Manage
(horseriding) Manège.
Succeed
To come in the place of another person, thing, or event; to come next in the usual, natural, or prescribed course of things; to follow; hence, to come next in the possession of anything; - often with to.
If the father left only daughters, they equally succeeded to him in copartnership.
Enjoy till I returnShort pleasures; for long woes are to succeed!
Manage
The handling or government of anything, but esp. of a horse; management; administration. See Manege.
Young men, in the conduct and manage of actions, embrace more than they can hold.
Down, down I come; like glistering PhaëthonWanting the manage of unruly jades.
The unlucky manage of this fatal brawl.
Succeed
To descend, as an estate or an heirloom, in the same family; to devolve.
Manage
To have under control and direction; to conduct; to guide; to administer; to treat; to handle.
Long tubes are cumbersome, and scarce to be easily managed.
What wars Imanage, and what wreaths I gain.
Succeed
To obtain the object desired; to accomplish what is attempted or intended; to have a prosperous issue or termination; to be successful; as, he succeeded in his plans; his plans succeeded.
It is almost impossible for poets to succeed without ambition.
Spenser endeavored it in Shepherd's Kalendar; but neither will it succeed in English.
Manage
To guide by careful or delicate treatment; to wield with address; to make subservient by artful conduct; to bring around cunningly to one's plans.
It was so much his interest to manage his Protestant subjects.
It was not her humor to manage those over whom she had gained an ascendant.
Succeed
To go under cover.
Will you to the cooler cave succeed!
Manage
To train in the manege, as a horse; to exercise in graceful or artful action.
Succeed
Attain success or reach a desired goal;
The enterprise succeeded
We succeeded in getting tickets to the show
She struggled to overcome her handicap and won
Manage
To treat with care; to husband.
Succeed
Be the successor (of);
Carter followed Ford
Will Charles succeed to the throne?
Manage
To bring about; to contrive.
Manage
To direct affairs; to carry on business or affairs; to administer.
Leave them to manage for thee.
Manage
Be successful; achieve a goal;
She succeeded in persuading us all
I managed to carry the box upstairs
She pulled it off, even though we never thought her capable of it
The pianist negociated the difficult runs
Manage
Be in charge of, act on, or dispose of;
I can deal with this crew of workers
This blender can't handle nuts
She managed her parents' affairs after they got too old
Manage
Come to terms or deal successfully with;
We got by on just a gallon of gas
They made do on half a loaf of bread every day
Manage
Watch and direct;
Who is overseeing this project?
Manage
Achieve something by means of trickery or devious methods
Manage
Carry on or manage;
We could do with a little more help around here
Common Curiosities
What is the difference between managing and succeeding?
Managing focuses on controlling and overseeing processes, while succeeding refers to achieving specific goals.
What are essential management skills?
Essential management skills include strategic planning, effective communication, and leadership.
How important is management to success?
Effective management is fundamental to organizational success as it ensures efficient use of resources and achievement of goals.
What is an example of success without management?
A startup might succeed due to a unique product or market demand, despite having informal management structures.
Can you succeed without managing?
While managing is crucial for systematic progress, one can succeed through other means like innovation, even without traditional management.
How do you measure success in a business?
Success in business can be measured by profitability, market share, customer satisfaction, and achieving strategic goals.
What roles do managers play in achieving success?
Managers play critical roles in planning, directing, and controlling resources to help organizations achieve success.
Can management skills affect one's ability to succeed?
Strong management skills enhance one's ability to succeed by improving decision-making and resource allocation.
What impact does succeeding have on a business?
Success can boost a business's reputation, increase morale, and provide a competitive advantage.
How does the concept of success vary across industries?
Success can vary significantly across industries depending on market conditions, consumer preferences, and technological advancements.
How can one manage effectively?
Effective management involves understanding organizational goals, knowing the team's strengths, and consistently applying best practices.
What is a common challenge in managing?
A common challenge in managing is balancing the immediate needs of the business with long-term strategic goals.
How do perceptions of managing and succeeding differ?
Managing is often viewed as maintaining order, while succeeding is seen as achieving or exceeding goals.
What are some traditional markers of success in management?
Traditional markers include efficiency, productivity, and maintaining operational stability.
Is it possible to be a good manager but not successful?
Yes, one can be a good manager in maintaining order and efficiency without necessarily achieving high-level success.
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Written by
Tayyaba RehmanTayyaba Rehman is a distinguished writer, currently serving as a primary contributor to askdifference.com. As a researcher in semantics and etymology, Tayyaba's passion for the complexity of languages and their distinctions has found a perfect home on the platform. Tayyaba delves into the intricacies of language, distinguishing between commonly confused words and phrases, thereby providing clarity for readers worldwide.
Co-written by
Maham Liaqat
