The debate between leadership and management has been raging for a number of decades! I think that the distinction between management a leadership is useful one, in that it help us gain a better understanding of leadership and causes us to reflect on our own behaviour and to ask ourselves “Are we really leading?” So what are the differences between managers and leaders?
“There is a profound difference between management and leadership, and both are important. To manage means to bring about, to accomplish, to have charge of or responsibility for, to conduct. Leading is influencing, guiding in a direction, course, action, opinion. The distinction is crucial” – Warren Bennis
If you’ve been reading this blog for a while, you’ll know that I really admire the work of Warren Bennis, in one of his books, “On Becoming a Leader” he describes his view of the differences between managers and leaders as follows:
- 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 accepts reality; the leader investigates it.
- 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 has his or her eye 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.
This is a great list and it always causes me to pause a reflect on my own behaviour and ask “Where am I spending most of my time? Doing the left hand tasks or doing the right hand tasks?”
Another influential thinker on the distinction between management and leadership has been John Kotter, author of “John P. Kotter on What Leaders Really Do” in this book John makes the following observations:
- “Leadership and management are two distinctive and complementary systems of action…… Both are necessary for success in an increasingly complex and volatile business environment.”
- “Most U.S. corporations today are overmanaged and underled.”
- “Strong leadership with weak management is no better, and is sometimes actually worse, than the reverse.”
- “Management is about coping with complexity….. Without good management, complex enterprises tend to become chaotic… Good management brings a degree of order and consistency….”
- “Leadership, by contrast, is about coping with change…. More change always demands more leadership.”
- “Companies manage complexity by planning and budgeting, by organizing and staffing, and by controlling and problem solving. By contrast, leading an organization to constructive change involves setting a direction (developing a vision of the future and strategies to achieve the vision), aligning people, and motivating and inspiring them to keep moving in the right direction.”
One important point that John Kotter makes is that “Leadership and management are two distinctive and complementary systems of action…… Both are necessary for success in an increasingly complex and volatile business environment.” The fact is that leadership and management are both important, they are two distinctive systems of action, both are necessary as each seek to do different things.
On this topic, Jim Estill posted this great quote on his blog, “CEO Blog – Time Leadership” citing a classic article from Harvard Business Review by Abraham Zaleznik in 1977 that discusses Leaders vs. Managers:
“The difference between managers and leaders, he wrote, lies in the conceptions they hold, deep in the psyches, of chaos and order. Managers embrace process, seek stability and control, and instinctively try to resolve problems quickly – sometimes before they fully understand a problem’s significance. Leaders, in contrast, tolerate chaos and lack of structure and are willing to delay closure in order to understand the issues more fully in this way, Zalenznik argued, business leaders have much more in common with artists, scientists and other creative thinkers than they do with managers. Organizations need both managers and leaders to succeed, but developing both requires a reduced focus on logic and strategic exercises in favour of an environment where creativity and imagination are permitted to flourish.”
In the end, we need to be good at leading first and managing second, the what and why ….. then……. the how and the when!
Reflecting on your behaviour over the past month, ask yourself:
- Where are you find yourself spending the majority of your time? Managing or leading?
- Given that most organisations are “over managed and under led“, What two management tasks can delegate this week? What two leadership behaviour do you need to focus on and improve this week?
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{ 34 comments… read them below or add one }
George,
Great post! I especially like the list of the differences between managers and leaders; it definitely causes introspection. And your questions at the end are most appropriate. Thank you.
Michael
PS. I found your blog through my Google alert; I’ve got it book marked and will keep in touch.
I often open my leadership development workshops by asking people to make a list of all of the things that they need to do to be effective in their jobs. After they fill a page, I work with the group to delineate the difference between manager and leader behaviors. I then have them reflect back on their list of what they need to do to be effective in their job and label each item with an “M” if it’s a manager behavior or an “L” if it’s a leader behavior. Not surprisingly, the lists are generally top-heavy with M’s.
The key insight is that both are needed, but often, people are out of balance. Success is driven by both leader AND manager behaviors.
Great managers can be great leaders, and great leaders can be great managers. Great leaders and managers ALWAYS empower everyone around them to create the maximum amount of energy which leads to satisfied team members.
George,
I’ve often had difficulty with those making the distinction between leadership and managment. I think it’s mainly because those that condsider themselves “leaders” believe they are exempt and actually above management activities. They go around pretending they are engaging in cerebral activity and telling other the same. Unfortunately, no one is listening.
I’ve had people actually tell me that they are leaders and not managers. If you need to tell someone you are a leader, you probably aren’t, or at the very least, you’re not a very good one!
To be sure, for a person to be a good manager, s/he must have many leadership traits. I like your last comment which references leading first then managing. Good leaders are good managers and vice versa.
To reference the Bennis quote for instance…
I never knew a good manager that didn’t concentrate on the people as well as focusing on processes and relentless execution. Never knew a good leader that didn’t do the same.
Never knew a good manager that wasn’t his/her own person. Of course nearly every leader is led by another and must tow the line as well.
Leadership and management are very tightly intertwined. Ignoring characteristics of one is done at the expense of the other.
Hi George, Yesterday I started a discussion at LeadershipTurn.com that considers Bennis’ 13 differences in light of today’s workforce. I’d love to have you and your readers participate.
I was really inspired reading those comparison between managers and leaders. Did a several readings of it and made some reflections to who’s the real man. No doubt it’s the leader, well in my point of view.
Liked your post.
-Jan
I found the above distinction useful,but can you explain abit on the views of Warren Bennis (as indicated above) in his book ‘On Becoming a Leader” eg. a Manager is a copy and a leader is an Original. What does it mean. How can these views be related to Change Management
Thanks
My concern, always my main cocncern… do people truly understand the meaning of leading.I think the list is a great tool to help individuals identify where they are and what they need to develop if they wish to become a leader.
Communication is so important in this effort, understanding how one communicates: listening, feedback, content vs. process all so important in developing and understanding leadership qualities.
http://www.leadershipstokes.com
well penned, George.
My own opinion? Leaders manage but not all managers lead. The big difference? Vision and the ability to apply it in everything a leader does.
sf, and check six
Boom
http://checksixtv.googlepages.com
I read the article.The meaningful comparison made between managers and leaders is very interesting.I being in the army can add that one can graduate to become manager but to lead a team or an organisation against odds, the true emergence of those finer qualities is imparitve.These characteristics are inborn and very few will have it in them in natural form. The implicit followers will really know the truth.
This is a well written article. Daily in the healthcare system, there is an abundance of managers and a few leaders. There needs to be a better balance. I agree both are important however, there must be someone with a vision.
Of course managers and leaders are different! And, I think you do a great job of summarizing what makes them different. A great leader doesn’t have to be a good manager. And, a good manager is not necessarily a good leader. I’m going to write a post about this soon.
In his latest Book “Tribes” Seth Godin says “Leaders have followers while Managers have employees” That’s what make a fundamental difference.
Yes, “leaders have followers”, the primary difference between “follows” and “employees” it seems to me, is that “followers” do so voluntary, that is they are follow out of their own free will.
Though I sometimes blur the lines of management and leadership when I’m writing my newsletters, I’ve never wavered myself on the concept of management and leadership being two separate things. I’ve gone a slightly different way in defining it, though, because I usually say that anyone can be a manager, but only true leaders are leaders. Managers are appointed every day without the skills to lead someone, but no one appoints leaders.
At least that’s how I see it.
I have been exploring this topic for several years in my own blog and the seminal pieces you have highlighted – Bennis, Kotter, Zaleznik – are indeed about the three best and most authoritative out there.
For an ‘alternative’ list to Bennis, check out my post .
Manager is a designation, leadership is action. Managers can also be leaders – which entails the process of bringing out the best in the teams and making others share the ideals of leadership.
Leadership in itself may not respect organizational structure.
I had occasion to hear Pat Williams, senior vice president of the NBA Orlando Magic, speak at a meeting of the National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA) at the 2005 Miami Boat Show. Speaking on leadership, he said that “managers deal with what’s on the ground. Leaders deal with what’s ahead.” This post is consistent with, and expands on, that idea. And, very sadly, I’ve known a great many “managers” in my life, but precious few “leaders”. The term “manager” frequently appears in job titles and help-wanted ads; “leader” rarely, if ever, does! Perhaps most sadly of all, many American companies further cheapen the concept of management. They simply use the term “manager” in a job title as a matter of semantics, to identify an employee who is “exempt” from premium benefits (overtime pay, etc.) from the non-exempt “non-manager” positions.
MANAGE YOUR TIME DIRECT TRAFFIC SUPERVISE THE PLAYGROUND LEAD ME!!!!!!!! Great Post.
Great post, good support. I agree with the way you differ leaders and managers. I don’t believe leaders could even be considered to have goals; instead, they have ideas with limitless potential. Managers are usually given certain benchmarks to reach and how they reach it is up to them, but nothing about their methods is “original”. I think any business leader should ask his/her self; does the road I’m on have signs limiting my direction, or am I paving the way of a new road?
He is leader who dreams of a concrete reality in uncertaintity.
I think of management as the actions and structure and leadership as the connection with people as people.
The difference between a manager and a leader can be hard to understand but after reading this post there’s a clearer understanding of the differences.In some role’s, individuals can (and have to) play both Manager and Leader. A tough role to play but for some do able.
It is also important to stress that while leadership and management are often put in the same context, leadership extends well beyond that. You can manage a business, a charity, some public office, etc. and within such somewhat limited environments , leadership and management might look alike, but leadership applies to other fields of human activity in which management has little to do.
I’ve always subscribed to a simple differentiation between leaders and managers.
Managers increase the efficiency of resources: people, plant, processes and time.
Leaders inspire, provide the direction and the purpose for such efficiencies.
The way to differentiate the two functions is to apply a philosophy such as ‘mission command’ to the workplace and the two will naturally emerge – with beneficial results.
Try missioncommand.org.uk for some more ideas.
Great site & great blog – thanks!
I recommend that you read Henry Mintzberg’s latest book – “Managing” Mintzberg believes that we should be seeing manager’s as leaders and leadership as management practiced well. The line between managing and leading is blurred. One can’t run a department or organization effectively without doing both. If you’re not PLOCing – you’re not managing or leading. (Plan, Lead, Organize and Control)
Great post.
This statement is kind of odd.
Doesn’t “Strong leadership” implies “managing well”?
I wonder if the reinforcement of the dichotomy between leading and managing put a psychological barrier. “My job is to manage and don’t ask me to see a bigger picture” and gives up the responsibility to lead when it matters; or “My job is to lead and don’t ask me to understand how things work around here”.
You should begin by making a difference between the concept of manager and that of a leader; both are important in their own ways but while a leader might be a manager, a manager might not be a leader. Leadership is something that goes a little bit further than management. I cannot explain all the differences between them in a short answer but very superficially you could say that a manager “manages”, takes care of what exists, while a leader “leads” into new horizons, creates. Both of them, however, are important: You cannot manage an organization without good managers, and you cannot ensure the survival of the organization and its success without leaders capable of taking it forward.
It is really very wounderfull defferentiate b/w leader and manager ; manager think right but the leader does right thing.
@ Brian Smith: I agree that there somewhat of a tin line between leaders and managers. I think it comes down to influence. A leader has the ability to influence others which isn’t the same for a manager. Managers are all about getting it done.
Shining the light into the distinction between managers and readers is really informative and need to be highlighted continuously because we used to forget it due to the busy life we are living in.
Yes I admit, most of esteemed organizations currently are adding more fats by having managers more than required! … very few leaders are there or even not being there as those organizations do not really want to spend money or efforts to burn those fats (managers) by converting some of them into leaders.
Also I would like to indicate that the manager is always looking at his watch but the leader is always looking at his compass!!!…… Leaders’ life is not a matter of speed or efficiency; it is much more a matter of what they do? And why they do it? Then how fast they get it done!!!!
Managers can not lead the leaders but leaders can lead the managers.
Yes this is very true. Last year my teacher said that a leader is the chef, he/she is in charge of putting the right ingredients in and letting the dish cook for the right amount of time. The Manager makes sure the soup doesn’t spill over or go bad. This really helped me this year with University.
Working as a CEO of 360 beds Hospital. We mentor young and upcomomng leaders. We have 15 mentees.
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