Differences between Managers and Leaders
An important difference but the two work in tandem…
“Leadership and management are two distinctive and complementary systems of action. Each has its own function and characteristic activities. Both are necessary for success in an increasingly complex and volatile business environment…strong leadership with weak management is no better, and is sometimes actually worse, than the reverse. The real challenge is to combine strong leadership and strong management and use each to balance the other.”
— John Kotter, Management/Leadership Author and Professor of Organizational Behavior, Harvard Business School
For instance:
- Leadership is more emotionally driven; management is more intellectually driven.
- Leadership is about commitment; management is about control.
- Leaders look at possibilities; managers look at problem solving.
- Leaders concentrate on vision; managers concentrate on goals.
- Leaders look for innovation; managers look at scorecards.
- Leaders develop people; managers manage processes/people.
Can you easily determine the difference? Knowing and applying the difference can be a Success Habit.
Judy W Bell
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Tags: Differences between managers and leaders, John Kotter quote, Judy W Bell, Leadership, management, Success Habits, Vision