Organizations large and small thrive under good management. Effective managers bring order to chaos and drive results. They coordinate the work of others and ensure that projects complete on time and within budget. But are effective managers also great leaders? Or, more fundamentally, is there a difference between management and leadership?<\/p>\n
This question echoes in the halls of business schools. Much has been written about the difference between managing and leading. Sometimes, the two are held in stark contrast: manage activities; lead people.<\/p>\n
Of course, managers must lead. Managing almost always involves other people who seek direction and motivation to accomplish tasks and achieve business goals. Yet many still point to distinctive differences between the two:<\/p>\n
There are elements of truth in all of these contrasts. At an extreme, some management activities can be positioned as a simple transaction\u2013without people to motivate or inspire\u2013but in today\u2019s service-oriented economy that seems less likely.\u00a0Speaking about the knowledge economy<\/u><\/a>, management guru Peter Drucker noted that \u201cone does not \u2018manage\u2019 people. The task is to lead people. And the goal is to make productive the specific strengths and knowledge of every individual.\u201d<\/p>\n I believe the leader vs. manager distinction is really more about passion and focus. Leaders are passionate about their mission, and rather than primarily focusing on activities, they focus on the people needed to achieve the mission.<\/p>\n