Everyone knows or has read about the difference between being a manager and being a leader and yet people seem to confuse the two roles over and over again.  Here is a quote that puts it very succinctly.

Management is doing things right. Leadership is doing the right things. – Peter F.Drucker

In brief, a manager is a person who is charged with preparing and executing a plan for a specified set of tasks. In a  hierarchical context, a manager of people is responsible for the smooth execution of a plan implemented by a team of people. This role is often held by specific people based on their technical or proven skills, knowledge and experience of doing similar tasks themselves.

Leadership , on the other hand , is a role that any one at any level of the organization can exert. This is not a mantle bestowed on a person as rank often is, although in a deteriorating corporate world , this is often perceived to be the case. It is often believed that a person who sets policy, strategic direction and empowers, encourages and enables people to contribute to it, is a corporate Leader. Not true. Read More→