DEFINITION : LEADER AND LEADERSHIP
A leader is someone who holds a position of authority or influence and is able to inspire and guide
others. They are often responsible for setting a vision, motivating their team, and achieving goals.
According to Merriam-Webster, a leader can be a person who has commanding authority or influence, or
the principal officer of a political party.
Leader Definition & Meaning - Merriam-Webster
Leadership can be defined as the ability of an individual or a group of people to influence and
guide followers or a team. It is not solely tied to a person's title, seniority, or ranking in a
hierarchy, but rather, it is an attribute that anyone can have or attain, even those without formal
leadership positions. Leadership involves behaviors used to help people align their collective
direction, execute strategic plans, and continually renew. It is about guiding and impacting
outcomes, enabling groups of people to work together to accomplish what they couldn’t do
working individually.
What Is Leadership? | Definition by TechTarget
What is leadership: A definition and way forward | McKinsey
DIFFERENCE BETWEEN MANAGEMENT AND LEADERSHIP
MANAGEMENT
Management skills are abilities and traits needed to perform certain duties, usually as it pertains
to overseeing a team, such as solving problems, communicating well, and motivating
employees. Such skills can be learned, through practical experience, or in courses and then
honed on the job.
https://www.coursera.org/articles/management-skills-for-resume
LEADERSHIP
Leadership is the ability of an individual or a group of people to influence and guide followers or
members of an organization, society or team. Leadership often is an attribute tied to a person's
title, seniority or ranking in a hierarchy. However, it's an attribute anyone can have or attain,
even those without leadership positions. It's a developable skill that can be improved over time.
https://www.techtarget.com/searchcio/definition/leadership
DIFFERENCES
1. Leaders Lead by Example, Managers Manage Teams
While a leader might set an example and influence subordinates and peers, a manager might simply
manage teams in a standard way. For example, a manager who isn’t recognized by peers and
subordinates as someone with true leadership capabilities might simply be followed as an instructor,
who organizes schedules, assigns tasks, and forwards reports to senior management.
On the contrary, a leader might be seen as someone who mentors his subordinates, lead by example,
takes on the most difficult and challenging tasks, and raises the bar for his team to try to match his hard
work, intellect and skills.
2. Leaders Inspire Action, Managers Manage Activities
While a leader might inspire his/her team to try to come up with new ideas, to improve the quality of
work and complete tasks under challenging deadlines; a manager might have a more mechanical
approach.
Leadership vs Management
A manager might simply manage a team which works according to a set routine, based on assigned tasks
with little or limited motivation.
Many managers also face the dilemma of being unable to inspire their teams and even fail to maintain
discipline, which leads to resentment, petty politics, unnecessary delays and a decline in the quality of
work delivered from a team.
3. Leaders Innovate, Managers Organize
One of the key traits which sets leaders apart from managers is their ability to innovate and come up
with new and improved methods of getting tasks organized.
Many Total Quality Management techniques have led to improvement and innovation. A good example
of this is Kaizen, which aims at improving activities for all workers through consultation and
collaboration. This includes everyone from the CEO to the blue collar worker at the assembly line. The
cycle of this Total Quality Management technique entails a Plan – Do – Check – Act approach. In fact, in
many organizations workers are given the authority to suggest improvements in case of any identified
abnormality. It is worth pointing out that concepts such as Kaizen can only be implemented where the
workforce is truly motivated and the workforce has more “leaders” than “managers” who can innovate
and inspire the workforce.
4. Leaders Take Risks, Managers Cautiously Plan
This is one of the trickiest part of being a leader: Taking risks. Leaders are prone to taking risks, which is a
two edged sword. Risks are called “risks” for a good reason; since they can lead to an awful outcome.
Nonetheless you can’t expect to do something groundbreaking without taking risks. The problem lies in
balancing the risks with the potential to recover from a bad decision and this is what good leaders do
quite well. This is not to say that many renowned leaders didn’t bet everything they had to take risks,
which might or might not have paid off. A good example of this type of leadership is from Jeff Bezos.
Despite having a high paying job at Wall Street, Bezos sacrificed everything to start an online bookstore
by the name of Amazon in 1994. This was a time when Internet usage was low and people were only
beginning to realize the power of the .com industry. He not only left his job as the Senior Vice President
at D. E. Shaw but also began a business which was unlikely to yield any real profit for many years to
come. In fact, Bezos himself warned early investors that there was a 70% possibility of his venture going
bankrupt.
While managers who fail to become leaders are cautious and this might work for many individuals in
their careers; risks are arguably the stepping stones for true leaders.
5. Leaders Inspire Change, Managers Bring Stability
While risks can lead to great rewards, however you don’t want too many people within an organization
with a risk taking attitude! Leaders can inspire change with their personality, however an organization
also needs people who bring stability and that includes people who are risk averse.
Managers, as compared to people with leadership qualities can be risk averse, and that can help bring
stability to keep the wheel moving forward smoothly for an organization. The right mix of people capable
of steady day to day management and inspiring leaders within an organization can be a blessing.
For example, many organizations have managers who provide a stable working environment; whereas
Directors often come up with innovative solutions, and inspire the workforce with their charm, charisma
and foresight. Furthermore, leaders can help inspire change, especially to counter resistance to a new
method or procedure and to encourage continuous improvement via methods like Kaizen.
6. Leaders Plan for the Future, Managers Shoulder Immediate Responsibilities
Every organization needs a leader who can think ahead and consider the changing conditions of the
market. Jeff Bezos started with an online retail store and expanded it into the largest e-store in the
world. In fact, it is hard to think of a conventional store which provides products as diverse as Amazon.
This change could not have been possible in the mid 90s when Amazon was launched. However, as
Internet usage expanded, so did Amazon. Bezos saw this many years before the Internet boom. While a
steady management can help keep things running smoothly, it is the leader who truly envisions the
future and the direction of the organization.
7. Leaders are Proactive, Managers are Reactive
If you have had the misfortune of working with incompetent management, you would know that
managers, especially ones with little vision or skill are often reactive. They fail to listen to hard working
and competent subordinates and react to a bad situation once it’s created. Unfortunately, many
competent managers which lack leadership abilities do the same. They are not proactive since they are
risk averse. This in turn leads to fewer initiatives and a clogged system where even a minor change can
result in a breakdown.
Leaders, on the contrary, are proactive and keep the workforce motivated and ready to push through
bottlenecks. Managers can often lack the adaptability of situational leadership, which can help them
mould their subordinates according to the situation and changing market needs. This is why when many
people in the management get stuck, they look to their bosses to move things forward, such as a
Director or CEO.
Related read: Toxic leadership article.
Interestingly, many times this type of leadership is inspired by junior team members who can end up
having more respect than their bosses due to their competence, intellect, hard work and a proactive,
charming personality.
8. Leaders Build Shared Values, Managers Focus on Workforce Management
What drives many modern organizations are shared values. While managers can focus on workforce
management, leaders build shared values and inspire corporate culture. Leaders inspire values that drive
an organization and motivate employees to move forward to achieve desired goals. The shared values
are synced with the goals of an organization and are often translated into taglines that can help inspire
the workforce. Managers lack the ability to build their own values, since they are too short sighted to do
so or find it hard to muster enough support to build an environment where they can inspire change.
9. Leaders Motivate, Managers Instruct
When your boss asks you to get something done, you have one of two feelings. One, you might want to
get the job done somehow, which is all about getting paid for your job. Two, you might want to get the
task done with perfection because you don’t want to led down your boss and want him to consider you
can someone reliable. The latter is a trait which often requires motivation.
While many new employees in an organization might have the latter attitude at the beginning of a new
job, their motivation can quickly dwindle in the wake of poor leadership, lack of encouragement, petty
politics at the workplace and numerous other factors.
A leader knows how to keep his/her employees motivated and away from a toxic environment. They try
to cater for the needs of the employees at a personal level and provide perks which might keep them
motivated. For example, an organization may offer company stocks, play areas, good health insurance,
annual bonuses and other perks to keep employees motivated and working hard for the benefit of the
organization. Similarly, a mechanism of punishment can ensure that employees feel obliged to comply. A
method better known as transactional leadership.
Leader vs Manager Key Comparison
Source: Leader vs Manager PowerPoint template
A leader can inspire a feeling that makes the employee feel as if he/she has a personal stake in the
business. Some even do it without being able to offer much to their subordinates. This is how most
successful companies begin as startups.
10. Leaders are Charismatic, Managers are instructive
There are people at the office that you casually greet every day. And then there are people who
everyone likes to be around. Some people have a vibe which can make others feel happy and excited.
That is the vibe of a true leader. A good sense of humor, expert knowledge, and a confident personality;
all these things inspire people, and leaders often have more than one of these traits. Charisma can be
enjoyed by people regardless of their leadership style. A leader can be charismatic despite practising an
autocratic leadership style. However, other leadership styles are likely to have more charm such as
someone who practices a strategic leadership style, transformational leadership style, team leadership
style or cross-cultural leadership style. Perhaps the trickiest is the democratic leadership style, as
keeping multiple people happy and willing to follow you with motivation is nothing short of an art.
https://slidemodel.com/leadership-vs-management-key-differences/
VIRTUES AS THE FOUNDATION OF LEADERSHIP
Virtuous leadership is founded on the principles of character strengths, or virtues, that are essential for
effective and sustainable leadership. These virtues include prudence (practical wisdom), courage, selfmastery, justice, magnanimity, and humility. Prudence increases a leader's ability to make right decisions,
courage permits them to take risks and stay the course, self-mastery subordinates their emotions to the
spirit, and justice impels them to give everyone their due. In addition to these, virtues such as practical
wisdom, courage, justice, magnanimity, and humility are also considered essential for virtuous
leadership. Leaders who possess these virtues are more likely to achieve personal greatness by bringing
out the greatness in others, and they are seen as more attractive to others who want to work with them.
Therefore, virtues form the foundation of leadership, as they are the bedrock upon which effective and
sustainable leadership is built.
Virtuous leadership: a source of employee well-being and trust | Emerald Insight
Principles | VLI (hvli.org)
What is Virtuous Leadership? (linkedin.com)
Virtuous Leadership (ufsauniv.com)
Five virtues of leadership (linkedin.com)
TRAITS OF LEADERSHIP
The traits of leadership include a combination of personal and interpersonal qualities. According to
various sources, some common traits of effective leaders include:
Self-awareness and humility: Understanding one's strengths and weaknesses is essential for effective
leadership.
Integrity and accountability: Good leaders demonstrate honesty, integrity, and take responsibility for
their actions.
Effective communication: The ability to communicate clearly and listen actively is a fundamental
leadership trait.
Adaptability and creativity: Successful leaders are open to change, creative in problem-solving, and
adaptable to new situations.
Empathy and relationship-building: Showing empathy, empowering others, and building strong
relationships are important for effective leadership.
Confidence and resilience: Good leaders are confident in their decision-making and demonstrate
resilience in the face of challenges.
Learning agility: The willingness to continuously learn and grow is a key trait of successful leaders.
These traits contribute to the overall effectiveness of a leader and their ability to guide and inspire
others.
12 Characteristics and Qualities of a Good Leader | CCL
Leadership Traits: 10 Top Qualities of Effective Leaders | Indeed.com
8 Essential Qualities of Successful Leaders (hbr.org)
The Top 7 Qualities of Effective Leaders (corporatefinanceinstitute.com)
snhu.edu/about-us/newsroom/business/qualities-of-a-good-leader
QUALITIES OF AN EFFECTIVE LEADER
Effective leaders possess a variety of qualities that enable them to inspire and guide others. Some key
characteristics of an effective leader include:
Self-Awareness: Understanding one's strengths and weaknesses is essential for effective leadership.
Integrity: Acting with honesty and strong moral principles.
Influence: The ability to influence and motivate others.
Transparency: Being open and honest, while maintaining discretion when necessary.
Courage: The willingness to take risks and make difficult decisions.
Respect: Treating others with consideration and valuing their contributions.
Compassion: Showing empathy and care for others.
Humility: Being modest and open to learning from others.
Empowerment: Encouraging and enabling others to reach their full potential.
Communication: Clearly and effectively conveying ideas and vision.
Resilience: The ability to bounce back from setbacks and remain focused on goals.
Delegation: Empowering others by assigning tasks and responsibilities.
These qualities can be developed and honed through experience, self-reflection, and continuous
learning. Effective leaders are not necessarily born with these traits, but they can cultivate and improve
them over time.
12 Characteristics and Qualities of a Good Leader | CCL
6 Characteristics of an Effective Leader | HBS Online
10 Good Leadership Qualities | SNHU
8 Must-Have Qualities of an Effective Leader | Michael Page
Qualities of a Leader: 17 Leadership Qualities [2023] • Asana