Management Versus Leadership

Management and leadership are separate, although complementary, concepts. Each has its own function and characteristic activities, and both are necessary for organisational success.

In researching and writing about leaders for more than 15 years, it is evident that there are a lot of managers and not enough leaders. Managers control functions. In fact, the word “manager” comes from the Latin word manus, meaning ‘hand’. It originally referred to the hands on the reins that held the horse. Managers control the systems and techniques that make an organisation run.

Managers are appointed. They have legitimate power that allows them to reward and punish. Their ability to influence is founded on the formal authority inherent in their positions.

Management is about coping with complexity, bringing order and consistency to a range of activities which must be coordinated to achieve a result – i.e. the production of goods and/or services.

Leaders: Now that is another subject!

In contrast, leaders may be appointed, or they may appear from within a group.

Leaders influence people and convince them to do what needs to be done. They show direction and align people to work together. They move people to act and inspire with a shared decision of who they can be and what they can do! You do not have to be a manager to influence people!

Leadership is about coping with change, responding to the increasingly-competitive and volatile environment in which organisations work.

Positive leaders on all levels come from a place of service. They esteem and value others by affirming them and making them feel significant. They make the way, show the way, and light the way! They believe in people and they help them grow by holding them accountable for their actions.

Larry Bossidy, CEO of Allied Signal Corporation, said, “At the end of the day, we bet on people, not strategy.”

A few years ago, Forbes magazine published a study on leaders. They found that 15% of people are considered natural born leaders, 15% could never be leaders and 70% could learn to lead. Yes, most leaders are made, not born, though they are seldom made as much by others as by themselves.

Click here to view a video on leadership vs management.