Leadership Versus Management

The question of whether leadership is synonymous with management has long been debated. While they are similar in some ways, they are different in more ways.

People can be leaders without being managers, managers without being leaders or both leaders and managers.

•    A manager usually directs others because of formal authority and power.

•    A manager is by essence required to perform the four functions of planning, organizing, directing and controlling.

•    leadership is a little of management but not all of it—it involves ability to persuade others to seek set goals willingly.

•    Leadership binds a group together and motivates it towards agreed goals.

•    A leader needs only to influence his followers or their behaviour in whatever direction he chooses.

•    Unlike the manager a leader does not rely on any formal authority, because while a manager can force people to comply by using formal authority a leader has no such power.

However, people can be both and effective leadership does increase a person's managerial capabilities.