I have been working as a software consultant for more than 11 years. Because of that I am an eager supporter of lean principles and agile methods.
I don’t remember where I heard this but I still want to share it:
Leadership is about helping people cope with change, while management is about coping with complexity.
Leaders set direction, managers plan and budget.
Leaders align people, managers organize and staff.
Leaders motivate, managers control.
I agree with you. Anyone can be appointed manager while leadership has to be deserved.
Sometimes people who excel at what they do get appointed managers. They may be good managers, and even leaders, but too often they are neither. Instead the organisation lost an expert worker and gained a bad manager.
Something to say?
I just had a discussion on this very subject with my current Boss (we have a very strained working relationship) I was shocked when she told me that “I need to wake up and follow the leader” before I knew it I blurted “Who is the leader?” When she said she was I almost passed out. Since when does having the title of manager grant you carte blanche Leadership status? Please let me know. Great stuff that I think I should send to her if only I thought she would get it.
Left by Agent of Change on January 11th, 2007