The manager does things right; the leader does the right thing. The manager relies on control; the leader inspires trust. The manager focuses on systems and structure; the leader focuses on people.
Adapted from “The Wall Street Journal Guide to Management†by Alan Murray, published by Harper Business.
These are just a couple of examples of the differences between management and leadership. My dad and I were talking about this topic over the weekend and made a great point about how small companies need strong leaders. They can align teams around a vision and inspire everyone to get the right thing done.
The best kinds of people to manage are the ones that don’t need any management. Encourage leadership and empower the people doing the work.
Here’s another good article related to management vs leadership.