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The Difference between Management and Leadership
When it comes to creating a result be it in business, or in life in general, we all have choices to make as to HOW WE WILL BE with ourselves, others and the world around us. This makes all the difference, because HOW WE ARE determines the way we see the world, and therefore how we interact and influence it.
In any organization, there are those that manage and those that lead. Of course you also get some that have the ability to integrate the two, but for this particular focus we will draw a line down the middle to see the difference between the two.
Managers (Transactional) |
Leaders (Transformational) |
| Seek control | Seek influence |
| Emphasize what is visible | Emphasize what is invisible |
| Focus on doing | Focus on becoming |
| Goal oriented | Mission oriented |
| Provide form & structure | Provide meaning |
| Stay within the boundaries | Play with the boundaries |
| Preserve stability | Promote instability |
| Do things right | Do the right things |
| Needs-driven | Values-led |
| Expect followers to serve | Seek to serve followers |
| Influence through power & authority | Influence through love & caring |
| Train for skill development | Train for self development |
| Pull, prod, push followers | Attract followers |
| Focus on the parts | Focus on the whole |
| Concerned about the physical | Concerned about the spiritual |
| Short-term perspective | Long-term perspective |
| Efficient | Effective |
| Administer what already exists | Create what does not yet exist |
| Administer resources | Steward resources |
What comes down to is the source of authority with which the person attains
their organizational or personal goals. The manager is given the authority
to speak on behalf of the organization, and so wields a power that is
not their own.
On the other hand, authority in leadership is derives either from a specialist
knowledge or from who that person is.
Leaders attract followers, who then bestow the right for the leader to lead. At any time the follower can decide that they no longer want to follow, and so remove the leads influence in their lives. As management is a more structured role, the manager would then exercise their authority and get the follower back in line, perhaps with some transactional leadership, either by dangling a carrot, or bringing out the metaphorical stick.
There is a distinct difference between the way that leaders are from
managers. Their context is different, and so is their role. We need a
mixture of both to be successful, and a clear understanding of this certainly
contributes to the overall effectiveness of an organization.
Please let us know what you would like to see more of.
Simply email - richard@transformationalleadership.net