Managers vs. Leaders
If you want to be an effective leader, it’s important to know the difference between leadership and management. Marketing and Leadership expert, Seth Godin, differentiates management from leadership saying,
“There’s practical everyday management. I’m not interested in that. Leadership is not practical and it’s not every day. Management and leadership are totally
different things. You think you’re being a leader but you’re probably being a manager. Managers figure out what they want to be done and get people to do it.
Managers try to get people to do what they did yesterday but a little faster and a little cheaper with a few fewer defects.
It probably has a place but it’s not interesting to me. What’s essential, what’s not happening is leadership. Leadership is about finding the right people agreeing on where you want to go and getting out of the way. Leadership means embracing the failure of your people if it leads to growth. Leadership means not knowing what’s going to happen tomorrow, just knowing it’s going to take you where you want to go. And that’s really hard, particularly for people who have self-identified with small business people because they’re afraid of becoming big.”
In his book, “On Becoming a Leader,” Warren Bennis lists the following differences between managers and leaders.
– The manager administers; the leader innovates.
– The manager is a copy; the leader is an original.
– The manager maintains; the leader develops.
– The manager focuses on systems and structure; the leader focuses on people.
– The manager relies on control; the leader inspires trust.
– The manager has a short-range view; the leader has a long-range perspective.
– The manager asks how and when; the leader asks what and why.
– The manager has his or her eye always on the bottom line; the leader’s eye is on the horizon.
– The manager imitates; the leader originates.
– The manager accepts the status quo; the leader challenges it.
– The manager is the classic good soldier; the leader is his or her own person.
– The manager does things right; the leader does the right thing.
The Role of Managing vs. Leading
I think that trying to separate managers from leaders is an activity in futility. What we can do is separate from the roles of managing and leading. It is not only possible but often necessary for one person to wear both the hats of manager and the hat of leader. However, the functions or roles are different. You can strategize today and participate in setting the direction for your community and the next day, you roll your sleeves and work with your small team (of one or more) to get the job done.
