My First Job Gave Me A Life Lesson In The Difference Between Leadership and Management

Today it's my turn to share some personal history. I have a different perspective from my co-editor on this concept of the difference between leadership and management because my life experience in both was so much different than the inspiring story you read in our page about servant leadership.

In this page I'll share a first person frame of reference as someone who learned very good things from effective managers and leaders. And some things to avoid from examples that didn't inspire positive results. That's the thing about example. It can lead us to glowing success or avoidable failure. I'll give you both scenarios in this page.

How I Learned First-Hand The Difference Between Leadership and Management

The first thing you should realize is this; the biggest difference between leadership and management is that leaders have followers. Voluntary followers. Leadership is not about position. I would quickly learn this fact. I've featured a quote from Lao Tzu in the container block below that encapsulates the illustration of leadership.

I started my work career filled with confidence. I had some skills that my new company needed and I was brimming with enthusiasm to show what I had to offer. Sometimes life has a way of bursting bubbles. What I quickly found out was that the manager had strict methods of operation that discouraged innovation and fresh ideas. Especially from the new kid.

I also found out that the real leader in this work environment was not the manager. And it wasn't the one we assumed to be the overall leader. Leadership isn't about position. It's about the ability to motivate and encourage. If no one is following, we aren't leading anything.

Managers think in the present. Their job is to implement the systems in efficient and effective ways. The good managers and there are many, set those systems up so they align with the vision of the leader.

This is the next big difference between leadership and management. Strong leaders share the vision with their team. They convey the "why" along with the "how" and "what." In fact they care more for communicating the "why" to everyone with passion and put a good manager in charge of the other two.

In my first workplace, it became clear that our manager was not going to deviate from a set system. And sadly, it became even clearer that the person who was supposed to be leading was not able to share a strong vision for the business. The result of both is high turnover and lots of grumbling among the staff. As that negative attitude grows, territorial motives take root. People are only out for themselves. They don't take responsibility for their actions and they settle for doing minimums. This happens in every part of life.

A Better Example

That person I referenced earlier as being the true leader was always encouraging us, especially the new people to not lose heart, to look for ways to improve the team and to leave the negative from the past day in the trash on the way out after work. We always wished for that type of leadership. And then it happened. That same person started a new venture and brought the same passion and vision to that fledgling enterprise.

I was asked to come along, even though it would mean leaving the security of knowing what to expect. It would be a risk. But the vision from this person was clear as was the passion. And it was certain that the people who joined would have a say in the future growth. That's another big difference between leadership and management. The best leaders invite everyone to be active partners in the success of every venture.

Many times the descriptive terms, leader and manager are linked together as synonyms. And for sure, good managers can show leadership. My hope is that I was able to show that in my new role. It helped to see both sides of the coin in advance of starting that new position.

So let's review.

1.) Leaders are future-oriented. Managers are present-minded

2.) Leaders focus on the big vision and they share that vision. They want to empower their people to succeed. Managers implement the systems and work to finish assigned tasks on time and accurately.

3.) Leaders look for innovation and new ideas. Managers tend to stay within the status quo.

4.) Leaders have voluntary followers. People who saw the vision and gravitated toward that vision. Managers oversee employees or position holders in a hierarchy format.

This page is not intended to bash managers. They are important to every successful operation. The very best managers have some of those leadership traits we've highlighted. Many take the next step and become outstanding leaders.

Think about two lines moving from different spots. At some point they might intersect. The commonalties between the two will bring them together. That is when the clear vision and the proven systems work in harmony to produce results.

This is true in organizations, in families, in every part of life. Leadership is found within all of us, if we look close enough. I saw both sides of the spectrum. This was an education from life that I didn't expect, but one that has helped me so many times. We use the things my co-author learned from his dad. And we use the growth from my experience every day as well, as we strive to simplify leadership development and encourage our young leaders coming up to share their own vision with passion and enthusiasm.

Return to Accountability As A Core Value

Return to Home Page

Privacy Policy