Leadership vs mângement harvard business review năm 2024

According to conventional wisdom, there is a clear difference between managers and leaders. Managers are good at processes and numbers, but they can’t inspire and lead people, while that’s what leaders excel at. But is this really so? The answer is no. There is no difference between leaders and managers and insisting on the distinction creates an artificial watershed that is harmful for organizations—the Great Resignation being the latest sign of this.

The Managers Vs. Leaders Myth

If we are to believe social media and the popular business press, including Harvard Business Review articles like this and this), managers and leaders are two entirely different breeds of people. Managers maintain the status quo and focus on efficiency and the short-term. They believe in rationality and control. They persuade and monitor people and rely on systems and processes to turn their leaders’ vision into objectives, KPIs and results. Leaders, on the other hand, inspire. They see opportunities, follow their intuition and believe in empowerment. They coach, challenge and grow their people, focus on the long-term and are the initiators of innovation and change.

This distinction is a myth. And as far as it is real, it describes a problem rather than something to promote and embrace. It is a good (leader) vs. bad (manager) stereotype that has limited, if any value. Or worse. Insisting on this stereotype can be harmful to organizations because it reinforces an outdated, hierarchical view of organizations in which all ideas, insights and initiatives are supposed to originate at the top, after which they trickle down via managers to shopfloor employees. In this hierarchy, managers are merely a conduit for what leaders initiate.

Good Managers Are Leaders

While the distinction and this description of managers may have had its value a century ago, it misses the point today. It is based on a misplaced view of what management, leadership and strategy entail in 21st century organizations. Business practices like this have become so habitual that we keep them alive, no matter what. Modern organizations are people-centered—or at least they should be if they want to survive, thrive and keep their employees. They recognize that it is people that make them tick. And people want inspiration, purpose, autonomy and development and a place where they feel safe, connected and valued.

Creating such working environment requires a leadership mindset and leadership skills. Not just from executives, which are traditionally seen as leaders, but also from managers. Even especially so from managers, because they are the ones who work most directly with employees and therefore have a major influence on how people feel, behave and perform. Any person with a managerial position, leading a team, department, division, or unit in organizations today, needs exactly the qualities that are associated with leaders. So, in terms of the popular lingo, managers need to be leaders too.

Time To Say Goodbye To The Stereotype

The real distinction underlying the manager vs. leader myth is one between bad managers and leaders and good managers and leaders. Bad ones are merely good at processes and numbers, while good ones can inspire and lead people. This has nothing to do with whether someone operates at the top of an organization or at the middle, or at the lower levels. People are people, and leading—or managing—them works the same at all levels.

Of course, the precise job of an executive-level manager differs from the job of a mid-level manager. The first is responsible for the entire organization, while the second only for a part. This means that the scope at which they need to inspire and lead people differs. But their role is similar. Both need to see opportunities, follow their intuition and believe in empowerment. And both need to coach, challenge and grow their people, focus on the long-term and be the initiators of innovation and change.

For those who doubt or disagree, it is insightful to consider something that the late Jack Welch, former chairman and CEO of General Electric, said in 1989 in a Harvard Business Review interview. When asked about what makes a good manager, he replied “I prefer the term ‘business leader.’ Good business leaders create a vision, articulate the vision, passionately own the vision, and relentlessly drive it to completion.” It is time to accept and embrace what Welch said over three decades ago and let the manager vs. leader stereotype go. Let your managers be leaders and you can expect your employees to flourish—and perhaps even return.

Accelerate your career with Harvard ManageMentor®. HBR Learning’s online leadership training helps you hone your skills with courses like Leading People. Earn badges to share on LinkedIn and your resume. Access more than 40 courses trusted by Fortune 500 companies.

What is the difference between managers and leaders Harvard Business Review?

Leaders, like artists, tolerate chaos and lack of structure. They keep answers in suspense, preventing premature closure on important issues. Managers seek order, control, and rapid resolution of problems. Companies need both managers and leaders to excel.

What is the difference between leadership and management in business?

Leadership is about motivating people to comprehend and believe in the vision you set for the company and to work with you on achieving your goals. While management is more about administering the work and ensuring the day-to-day activities are getting done as they should.

What does leadership mean to you Harvard Business Review?

Leadership is the accomplishment of a goal through the direction of human assistants. The man who successfully marshals his human collaborators to achieve particular ends is a leader. A great leader is one who can do so day after day, and year after year, in a wide variety of circumstances.

Are leadership and management different a review citation?

Management refers to more day-to-day management and organising. It is about following concrete procedures and ensuring efficiency and solid planning and budgeting (Algahtani, 2014; Kotter, 2008). Leadership includes motivation, developing a vision, and supporting change (Kotter, 2008). ...