Difference between leadership and management

The difference between leadership and management:It’s NOT Paradoxical – It’s Definitional


The difference between leadership and management is actually quite simple. You manage things. You lead people. It’s amazing there is so much confusion and writing on this point.

Management is task-focused. It’s short term. It’s a series of checklists and “to do’s” that ensure the work gets done. It’s how we execute tasks to achieve a specific desired outcome. It’s taking actions to hit a budget number or deliver a project on time. Said most simply, it’s the movement of personnel, materiel, and tasks with an exact set of results in mind.

Leadership is people-focused. It’s the words said and actions performed to inspire something deep within another. It is the demonstration of a belief that others come before you and your only interest is their best interest. Leadership entails articulating a vision of something larger than all who are involved and helping those involved understand their role in achieving it. It’s providing the spark that fires someone’s drive to go take on seemingly insurmountable challenges because they believe in the desired outcome to the core of their being.

Leadership and management work hand in hand but truly are entirely different concepts.