Leading vs Managing: Understanding the Key Differences

"Leadership-Management Continuum: Which Side of the Spectrum Do You Need to Edge towards for Success?"

Mar 21, 2023

“A leader is one who knows the way, goes the way, and shows the way.” — John C. Maxwell

Introduction

Leadership can be defined as the ability to inspire, guide, and influence others towards achieving a common goal. It involves creating a vision, communicating it to others, and motivating them to work together towards achieving it. While some individuals may have natural leadership abilities, it is generally agreed upon that leadership can be learned and developed through experience, training, and education.

Courage and passion for a cardinal cause, that is held very closely to the heart, are often associated with leadership, as leaders must be willing to take risks and make difficult decisions in pursuit of their goals. However, leadership is not limited to individuals who are passionate about a particular cause or possess extraordinary bravery. Effective leadership can come from individuals with a variety of backgrounds, personalities, and motivations.

“The supreme quality for leadership is unquestionably integrity. Without it, no real success is possible, no matter whether it is on a section gang, a football field, in an army, or in an office.” — General Dwight D. Eisenhower

Let is start with two examples of exercise of leadership.

Nelson Mandela; Mandela, the former president of South Africa, is widely regarded as a great leader for his role in the anti-apartheid movement. Despite being imprisoned for 27 years, Mandela remained committed to his cause and inspired others to join him in the fight against racial segregation. Through his leadership, Mandela was able to negotiate a peaceful end to apartheid and become the first black president of South Africa.

Malala Yousafzai: Malala is a young woman from Pakistan who became an advocate for girls’ education after she was shot in the head by the Taliban for going to school. Despite the attack, Malala remained committed to her cause and continued to speak out for girls’ education around the world. Through her leadership, Malala has inspired millions of people to support girls’ education and has become a symbol of hope and resilience.

“Leadership” and “management” are often used interchangeably, but they are distinct concepts. The main difference between leadership and management is that leadership focuses on inspiring and motivating people to achieve a shared vision, while management focuses on planning, organizing, and controlling resources to achieve specific goals. However, effective leadership often involves some management skills, and effective management often involves some leadership skills.

Ten differences between leadership and management are:

Vision: Leaders create a vision and inspire others to work towards it, while managers focus on implementing plans and achieving goals.
Inspiration: Leaders motivate and inspire others to achieve a common goal, while managers direct and control the work of others.
Innovation: Leaders encourage creativity and innovation, while managers focus on efficiency and productivity.
Risk-taking: Leaders are willing to take risks and embrace change, while managers prefer to maintain the status quo and minimize risk.
Communication: Leaders communicate their vision and ideas to others in a compelling and persuasive way, while managers focus on clear and concise communication to achieve specific goals.
Influence: Leaders use their personal influence and charisma to inspire and motivate others, while managers rely on their position and authority to get things done.
Empowerment: Leaders empower others to take ownership of their work and contribute to the organization’s success, while managers delegate tasks and responsibilities.
People skills: Leaders have strong interpersonal skills and are able to build relationships with others, while managers focus on task-oriented skills.
Long-term thinking: Leaders think about the big picture and long-term goals, while managers focus on short-term objectives.
Personal qualities: Leaders possess personal qualities such as courage, vision, and charisma, while managers possess qualities such as organization, planning, and problem-solving skills.

“Strength does not come from physical capacity. It comes from an indomitable will.” — Mahatma Gandhi

In summary, leadership involves inspiring, guiding, and influencing others towards a common goal, and can be learned and developed. It is related to passion and courage, but effective leadership can come from individuals with a variety of motivations and backgrounds. Leadership differs from management in several ways, including vision, innovation, risk-taking, communication, influence, empowerment, people skills, long-term thinking, and personal qualities.

William Shakespeare wrote extensively about power, authority, and leadership in his plays. Here are two of my favourite quotes related to leadership from his works:

“Some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon them.” — Twelfth Night
“Cowards die many times before their deaths; The valiant never taste of death but once.” — Julius Caesar (This quote emphasizes the idea that true courage involves facing one’s fears and being willing to take risks, even in the face of potential danger.)

Many see leadership and management as two sides of the same coin. However, intuitively most of us place leadership on a higher pedestal. Nevertheless, leadership and management are essential components of any organization that require different skills and approaches. Effective leadership often involves some management skills, such as delegation and decision-making, while effective management often involves some leadership skills, such as communication and team-building. Ultimately, successful organizations require both strong leadership and effective management to achieve their goals and create a positive impact.

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Links to my other articles on “Leadership”

The author superannuated as Special Chief Secretary, Punjab in July, 2021, after nearly 37 years of service in the IAS.

KBS Sidhu, ex-IAS

He can be reached on kbs.sidhu@gmail.com

NB: Images are #AI generated art— through “Dream Studio”

The KBS Chronicle

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