Difference between leadership and management (Leaders versus managers)
August 26, 2009 by Admin
Filed under Management
What is the difference between leadership and management? How do leaders differ from managers? These two subjects and kinds of individuals have always been compared and differentiated over the years. Being a leader and being a manager have similar features and common functions. Both involve people, actions and goals. Both are also significant for individuals, organizations and businesses to live, run and achieve success. But despite of their resemblances they also have important distinctions that separate them from each other. They focus on different specific aspects and they are directed into different purposes. To understand more and brighten up our minds on the different features of leadership and management, let’s reflect on the following table of comparison.
|
Leader |
Manager |
| Has followers | Has subordinates |
| Guide people | Administer people |
| Makes short-term, mid-term, long-term and everlasting plans | Makes short-term, mid-term and long-term plans |
| Organizes people within their selves | Organizes people within the organization |
| Train people to succeed in their lives | Train people for the success of the organization |
| Direct people to achieve their goals | Direct people to achieve organizational goals |
| Correct people according to life’s standard | Correct people according to the organizational standard |
| Faithful | Skeptical |
| Overcome risks | Avoid risks |
| Focus on persons | Focus on work |
| Elected | Hired |
| Hearty | Brainy |
| Create original rules | Adopts organizational rules |
| Promotes change | Promotes adherence |
| Treat his people equal as himself | Treats his people lower than himself |
| Regularly receives recognition | Regularly receives compensation |
| Forward | Historical |
| Targets freedom and development | Targets efficiency and effectiveness |
| Provide services to his followers | Obtain services from his subordinates |
| Makes people change | Makes people stable |
| Transformational | Operational |
| Spiritual | Financial |
| Non Profit | For Profit |
| Preserves humility | Preserves authority |
| Liberal | Formal |
| Can be left behind | Can be fired |
| Facilitator | Processor |
| Works by passion | Works by profession |
| Theoretical | Actual |
| Realizations and lessons oriented | Results oriented |
| Timeless | Timely |
The comparative presentation above doesn’t tell us that leadership is greater than management nor the reverse. It only shows the dissimilarities of leaders from managers. It doesn’t matter if you are a leader or a manager. It even doesn’t matter whether you are a follower or a subordinate. What matters is… you are great of whatever you are – a great leader, a great manager, a great follower or a great subordinate.
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Hi Vic, excellent list! I can't help but mention about a time when we were asked during a leadership training seminar by the seminar facilitator “what differentiates leaders and managers?” and I said leaders do what is right while manager's do things the right way, I was dumbfounded when a number of fellow managers reacted by saying they don't get it. I said to myself, “What the f&ck?!” =)
Hi Jay,
Thanks for visiting and sharing your stories. I must agree with the answer you have given to the facilitator. Leaders encourage change and while managers aim for stabiity. Leaders originate rules while managers follow the rules of the organization. You are more matured than the managers in the seminar. Perhaps they are not as fundamental as you.
Hitler was a leader. Did he lead several countries into war with confidence? Yes. Did he manage the war for the German people particularly well? No.
He was able to rouse his nation into action by his leadership, but failed them through his management of the situation.