Leadership vs. Management: What’s the Difference?

The terms “leadership” and “management” are often used interchangeably. While there is some overlap between the work that leaders and managers do, there are also significant differences.

In a keynote discussion at Harvard Business School Online’s annual conference, Connext, HBS Professors Nancy Koehn and Joe Fuller explored the interplay between leadership and management and shared how they define the two disciplines:

Koehn referenced HBS Professor John Kotter, who defined Leadership as “the creation of positive, non-incremental change, including the creation of a vision to guide that change—a strategy—the empowerment of people to make the vision happen despite obstacles, and the creation of a coalition of energy and momentum that can move that change forward.”

Fuller, who teaches relayed his thoughts on how management compares. “Management is getting the confused, misguided, unmotivated, and misdirected to accomplish a common purpose on a regular, recurring basis. I think the ultimate intersection between leadership and management is an appreciation for what motivates and causes individuals to behave the way they do, and the ability to draw out the best of them with a purpose in mind.”

Leadership vs. Management

Process vs. Vision

Effective leadership is centered on a vision to guide change.

Whereas managers set out to achieve organizational goals through implementing processes, such as budgeting, organizational structuring, and staffing, leaders are more intent on thinking ahead and capitalizing on opportunities.

Leaders drive change and develop goals whereas managers drive people towards those goals

Organizing vs. Aligning

The manager administers; the leader innovates

The manager maintains; the leader develops

The manager focuses on systems and structure; the leader focuses on people

Position vs. Quality

The title “manager” often denotes a specific role within an organization’s hierarchy, while referring to someone as a “leader” has a more fluid meaning.

Ideally, all leaders are managers, and all managers are leaders; however, it is more accurate to say, “All leaders are managers but not all managers are leaders”.

Leadership is a quality that needs to be shaped through developing emotional intelligence and learning how to influence others.

For seasoned and aspiring managers alike, possessing strong leadership skills can not only lead to better job performance, but an improved knowledge of how to influence the context and environment in which decisions get made.