Distinction of the Day: Manager vs Leader
I often think one can tell the difference between a manager and a leader by looking at where a person’s eyes are. If they are to the ground, if their focus is on implementing something that someone else has put in place, if they are most concerned about the systems that are in place, they are a manager. If their eyes are off to the future, if they are focused on new horizons, and if the and in creating goals, they are a leader. While managers direct others to accomplish their end results, leaders inspire others to achieve those same results.
This quote by John Sculley really hits the mark for me: “Leadership is often confused with other things, specifically management. As I see it, leadership revolves around vision, ideas, direction, and has more to do with inspiring people as to direction and goals than with day-to-day implementation. One can’t lead unless one can leverage more than his own capabilities . . . You have to be capable of inspiring other people to do things without actually sitting on top of them with a checklist – that’s management, not leadership.”
In his book, John C. Maxwell outlines the 21 Indispensable Qualities of a Leader. Download a free one-page summary of these qualities here or check out the book on Amazon
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September 7th, 2009 at 11:32 pm
This is a key distinction, and I agree that most people completely miss it. I think that leaders sometime forget this tenet and allow themselves to get bogged down in the day to day. I know I have done that many times in my career.
I just finished reading John Maxwell’s book. It is a good read, but I think I will need to read it at least two or three more times to get it all. It has a lot of information that will take time to absorb.
Michael Cruse´s last blog ..Win a Free Copy of Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity by David Allen
September 25th, 2009 at 4:51 pm
Hi Michael,
That’s such an important point. Books that change our perspectives and our lives need to be read and reread. Each time we should get one more nugget to incorporate into our lives.
Also an easy way I remember this distinction is that leaders lead people and managers manage projects and systems. It helps me stay clear as to what I ’should’ be doing at different times!