Leadership and management are two essential approaches to leadership that have distinctive characteristics. Leading and managing are both necessary, but very different.

16 Differences between Managers and Leaders

1. A Manager assigns duties – A Leader fosters ideas
2. A Manager delegates – A Leader empowers
3. A Manager directs – A Leader coaches
4. A Manager maintains – A Leader is a change agent
5. A Manager has employees – A Leader creates fans
6. A Manager copies the success of others – A Leader uniquely discovers success
7. A Manager creates goals – A Leader creates vision
8. A Manager sees the bottom line – A Leader sees the horizon
9. A Manager sees projects – A Leader sees purpose
10. A Manager puts focus on details – A Leader puts focus on direction
11. A Manager controls risks – A Leader takes risks
12. A Manager relies on control – A Leader relies on trust
13. A Manager instructs – A Leader encourages
14. A Manager sees problems – A Leader sees potential
15. A Manager is reactive – A Leader is proactive
16. A Manager leads with the head – A Leader leads with the heart