Leadership Vs. Management

“A leader can manage all things; A manager can’t lead everything” –Anonymous

If management is doing things right, then leadership is doing the right things. Clichéd but true.

A leader has a vision and he leads everyone behind him in the path of that vision effectively influencing them to follow the dreams, and fulfill them too. A manager tactically plans, organizes and delegates things to have a smooth flow of work. A manager is forever focusing on running the organization efficiently.

For me, leadership plays a more important part in the betterment of an organization than management. Managers of organizations forget sometimes that it is the people who run the company and not the company that runs the people. People management is more of a leader’s job as it is the leader who leads people to dream big about the company. People who get a feeling of ownership of the company strive hard to make it a better one and this is what a leader influences them to do.

Not all managers can lead a team and I have seen that even very responsible managers can be bad leaders.  They direct people to reach their goal, but do not inspire them or motivate them like a leader would do. On the other hand, I have seen people who have a mindset of a leader, remain employees of a company.

I do agree that for the progress of a company a leader and a manager should go hand in hand. A good manager would makes things work for the leader and make him/her look good to the outside world. And for this, a good leader searches profoundly to hire a good manager who understands his vision and works towards it.