Manager or Leader? That is the Question…

… that never seems to go away!

To describe the difference between the two, the late Stephen Covey used the metaphor of a tree in the jungle. Leaders are at the top surveying the landscape – looking ahead, making sure things are moving in the right direction. Managers are at the bottom of the tree clearing the path – valiantly chopping away – accomplishing the tasks at hand.

The lesson we’re supposed to learn from this is that they are different jobs, and the implication is that you are one or the other.  While there are clearly differences between the two roles, this metaphor assumes that managers are short sighted and that leaders don’t want to get their hands dirty.

In my experience a great manager looks ahead, looks behind, and makes decisions in context.  And a great leader never loses sight of what it takes to execute – from business operations, to employee development, to customer satisfaction.

To quote a friend, this management vs leadership conversation is “a distinction without a difference.”  In other words, in each are the seeds of the other.

And recently I read an article that made the point that “to prosper, everyone has to become both more creative and more down to earth.”

So I challenge you to stop thinking about the distinction and, wherever you are in the organization, just practice “managerial-leadership” – because a great manager leads and a great leader manages!