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Slacker Manager

What’s the difference between management and leadership?

by Phil Gerbyshak on October 18th, 2007

Which wall are you leaning against?“Management is efficiency in climbing the ladder of success; leadership determines whether the ladder is leaning against the right wall.” - Stephen Covey

Do you believe this is true? Is this the real difference between management and leadership or is there something else?

Photo credit: Kevin Steele

Stay tuned for the Slacker Manager’s thoughts on this.

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POSTED IN: leadership, management

9 opinions for What’s the difference between management and leadership?

  • David Zinger
    Oct 18, 2007 at 6:59 am

    For the most part I use the terms in very similar ways. I think the word “leadership” has more status attached to it. Management has more of a sense of gumption and getting things done. I have always appreciated the statement: “meaning is in people not words.” To me this means I need to get clarity from the individual on how they are using the word.

  • Doug Kyle
    Oct 18, 2007 at 8:57 am

    An excellent quote. In terms of vocabulary, I tend to consider “manager” to simply be an assigned title where as “leader” is earned. The right to be called manager is maintained as long as a position is held. There is no right to be called leader, it is an honour to be considered such and should be accepted as such (i.e. humbly). One should be a leader if they are a manager, but one need not be a manager to be a leader.

  • steve
    Oct 18, 2007 at 10:47 am

    from: http://www.govexec.com/features/0703/0703view2.htm

    Viewpoint Managers vs. Leaders
    By James E. Colvard letters@govexec.com Government Executive July 15, 2003

    We often talk of management and leadership as if they are the same thing. They are not. The two are related, but their central functions are different. Managers provide leadership, and leaders perform management functions. But managers don’t perform the unique functions of leaders.

    Here are some key differences:

    * A manager takes care of where you are; a leader takes you to a new place.
* A manager deals with complexity; a leader deals with uncertainty.
* A manager is concerned with finding the facts; a leader makes decisions.
* A manager is concerned with doing things right; a leader is concerned with doing the right things.
* A manager's critical concern is efficiency; a leader focuses on effectiveness.
* A manager creates policies; a leader establishes principles.
* A manager sees and hears what is going on; a leader hears when there is no sound and sees when there is no light.
* A manager finds answers and solutions; a leader formulates the questions and identifies the problems.
* A manager looks for similarities between current and previous problems; a leader looks for differences.
* A manager thinks that a successful solution to a management problem can be used again; a leader wonders whether the problem in a new environment might require a different solution.

    and further discussion……

  • Doug Kyle
    Oct 18, 2007 at 12:01 pm

    @James. I like the list… good food for thought. Specifically: “Managers provide leadership, and leaders perform management functions. But managers don’t perform the unique functions of leaders.” got me thinking, and also taking a second look at the original quote.

    It seems that your comment is in-line with the quote and quite accurate, however the quote fails to consider (or does so only in the abstract perhaps) is that there are many types of leadership scenarios.
    The quote seems to focus on what the difference is between a manager who is also a leader vs manager who is not.

    At a philosophical level, these are really two very different questions. As I’m sure everyone has experienced, and no doubt grumbled about; there are managers out there who are not leaders. But perhaps just as common and yet more likely overlooked are the leaders that are not managers. These are the people who perhaps have some unofficial seniority that juniors look to or simply someone whose very personality sways the way a company unfolds.

    This can be a very good thing, although the example from my past that jumps to mind is one in which a new manager had joined our company and yet the leadership was held by the alpha-software developer. I use “alpha” to refer to “dominant” as opposed to “alpha-release”. In that case, the manager couldn’t seem to find the ladder because the leader had used it for kindling to fuel a Doom server… at least everyone looked busy…

  • Phil Gerbyshak
    Oct 18, 2007 at 6:22 pm

    David - Great points. That’s why I’m asking the question.

    Doug - Glad you liked the quote. Earned versus given. Be careful of shoulding on people. That might get you in trouble.

    Steve - Interesting sharing. You’re right though: managers do not equal leaders, and vice versa.

    Doug - Yikes, the burning pyre of ladders. Scary thought!

    Anyone else feel like their ladder is on fire by their leader and/or manager?

    We’ll definitely be discussing this more soon!

  • Carol Abraham
    Oct 19, 2007 at 8:55 am

    I agree, managers are crucial in ensuring that the vision is reached in the most effecient way possible but the vision is determined by the leader. Leaders mold managers into future leaders!

    Carol
    http://mba.ubalt.towson.edu/

  • David Zinger
    Oct 21, 2007 at 8:08 am

    I wonder if some of the confusion around terminology is that we have taken a practice and made it a noun when it should be a verb.

    As a person, I lead and I also manage. These are actions not roles or nouns. To me a good manager/leader or leader/manager is a person who can do both.

    Of course if I had to choose one at this point in my life I would go with the manager because of the sense of gumption and getting things done. It is all fine to have vision but vision without action is just a dream. By the way, I would have choosen leader a few years ago but I have shifted my thinking into action.

    David

  • Julie
    Oct 30, 2007 at 8:38 am

    Phil -

    I agree with the quote, and I also think there’s more to it than that. A leader’s job is to keep his or her eyes on the horizon and beyond - otherwise they’d not know whether the ladder is indeed leaning against the right wall.

    I think of a manager generating excellent performance from the outside of the people for whom he is responsible. He does it through monitoring systems, methods, processes, etc.

    I see the leader, on the other hand, as drawing excellent performance from the inside of the people for whom she is responsible. The leader helps them want to come along by helping them be in touch with their big reasons for taking action and sustaining commitment.

  • Phil Gerbyshak
    Oct 30, 2007 at 7:59 pm

    David - interesting idea. We’ll need to dive into that more.

    Julie - I like your distinctions. They make for interesting thoughts.

    You make me wonder if one or the other comes more naturally, or if both must be learned, or if both are innate.

    Hmmm…