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I’ve met many people that are great managers but far fewer that are good leaders. The difference is not just the matter of text books but is a real, if not tangible, aspect of life. Both semantically, logically, and theoretically the leader is distinguished from the manager by function.
The manager is set to manage a given set of tasks to ensure a specific and quantifiable outcome. Whether this set of tasks involves people, processes, or both is irrelevant as the only change is in the style of management, not the… (Read full post)
I think that it can also be said that often great leaders are poor managers. They have the ideas and vision, even the charisma but they lack the organizational skills and often don’t have patients for the details. It’s like you need sales and accounting to run a successful business. There are a great number of jobs were a manager doesn’t actually manage other people especially in smaller companies. I agree that both are important skill sets and they don’t always come in the same person.
Final point, being a great leader doesn’t mean you have a vision that will actually work out. Leader’s can lead other to greatness or off a cliff.
Thanks for the contribution Steve and you have a great point regarding the vision. One of the biggest obstacles even good leaders face lies in understanding when to change or even forsake their vision in lieu of something more appropriate.