I love this excerpt from the Op-Ed blog at Posterous:
“Management is just the science of execution.
But leadership provides vision”
So true.
I’ve had many *discussions* with people on whether leadership and management are one and the same or two different skill sets. According to me they are distinct and easily identifiable. Those with leadership skills are able to articulate their vision for a better future; they are dissatisfied with the status quo and lay out a clear and compelling path to a new future. The manager ensures execution of the steps required to transform the vision into reality. Both skill sets are crucial for business health.
Can one person do both?
I know quite a few who excel at both leadership and management but it is more common to find individuals with strengths in one area over the other. The trick is to know yourself. Look through the table below and see where your style fits. Are there elements you would like to change? The good news is it’s never too late.
Reprinted with permission from ChangingMinds.org
Further reading
I blogged on this topic last August after reading a Harvard Business Review article. Click here to read it. You may enjoy the article that produced the above table. It’s called “Leadership vs Management” and you can read it here.
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