I just came across a discussion about the difference between management and leadership in the Fuqua Alumni Discussion group. It came from the WSJ Article titled “What is the Difference Between Management and Leadership?” To be fair, the two are inextricably linked, and it can be impossible and nearly futile to tease the two apart. But to sum up the ideas from the 1989 book, “On Becoming A Leader” from Warren Bennis:
- 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.
Are you a leader, or a manager? Or are you both? What other differences do you think of after reading this list?