Harold Thrasher – Expert in Information Systems Development and Leadership of Software Teams and Companies

Management literature is full of respected quotes used to differentiate between a leader and a manager, as stated by experts renowned for their knowledge and wisdom:

• “Management is doing things right; leadership is doing the right things.” (Peter Drucker).

• “A leader cares about what tasks mean to people. A manager cares about how tasks can be accomplished.” (Ibrahim Zein).

• “Leaders are architects and designers; managers are builders.” (John Mariotti).

• “Management is making people do what needs to be done; leadership is making them want to do it. Managers push, but leaders pull. Managers command, but leaders communicate.” (Warren Bennis).

• “Management is about coping with complexity; leadership is about coping with change.” (John Kotter).

• “Leadership focuses on creating a shared vision; management focuses on job design; it is about control.” (George Weathersby).

• “An excellent leader has two qualities: they know where they want to go, and they can persuade others to go with them.” (Ted Turner).

• “The first responsibility of a leader is to define reality; the last is to say thank you. In between, the leader is a servant.” (Max de Pree).

The bottom line is: the distinction between a manager and a leader is a matter of semantics and lexicon. In reality, no one hires you with the job title of "Manager" and then tells you not to act as a leader! This is not part of your job description. Similarly, no one hires you as a "Leader" and then tells you to focus on leadership only! Let's face it: every managerial position has a leadership component, and every leadership job has a managerial component. It doesn't matter what you call what you do; what matters is accomplishing the desired work.

Leadership and Management: Two Sides of the Same Coin of Success or Failure

Perhaps senior management positions and executive leadership roles deal with change more than maintaining things in their current paths, while lower management positions often focus on mastering existing processes. If you were hired to lead things in a new direction and discovered that the current direction is very good and there is no need to change it, you must stand up and try to convince your organization that radical change is not necessary. However, if you were hired just to keep things running as they are and discovered that the business affairs are in a deplorable state and must be changed, it is up to you to seek to lead the organization in a different direction. Job descriptions are general guidelines, not rigid laws. Most importantly, you must understand who your customers are and in which path your organization should proceed.

In the end, do not be too preoccupied with the verbal differences between management and leadership; care about what improves the company's situation, and that is enough.