The term “manager” is often associated with someone who tells other people what to do, while a “leader” inspires others to do their best through their words and actions without dictating. Those are semi-accurate portrayals of leadership vs management roles, and most people would rather be called a leader than a manager.
But make no mistake: leadership and management are both vital to the success of a business.Management consists of controlling a group or a set of entities to accomplish a goal, Leadership refers to an individual’s ability to influence, motivate, and enable others to contribute toward organizational success. Influence and inspiration separate leaders from managers, not power and control.Great managers may not have large spheres of influence, but they can be masterful at running projects and getting things done. They know how to plan, organize, and coordinate.
When a company has a complex project to undertake, a smart manager knows how to execute.A great leader, on the other hand, may be influential and have fantastic new ideas, but may not be so adept at managing the many ongoing details involved with getting a project done. Leadership is more about inspiring, motivating, and innovating.
Both management and leadership are important; both contribute to individual and organizational success. They complement and need each other. Leadership and management are intertwined: there is some management in leadership and some leadership in management —at these points, the distinction between them washes away.
