The difference between managing and leading

'Warren Bennis, one of today's most prolific writers on the subject of leadership, makes the distinction between leadership and management in his book 'On becoming a leader'. The manager, according to Bennis, is pre-occupied with doing things right. That is, the manager is focused on following procedures and gaining compliance from those she manages. It is a role in which the successful execution of established practices and adherence to standard policies determine the effectiveness of the manager. On the other hand, the leader, Bennis argues, is concerned with doing the right things. Rather than simply executing existing procedures and gaining compliance with accepted practices, the true leader will first question whether or not the accepted procedures are the right thing to do. The true leader is one who may determine that existing practices are no longer moving the organisation in the direction of its vision and mission and create a whole new set of procedures and practices. Rather than being content to transact business within the parameters of the existing paradigm, the leader looks to transform the existing system into something more effective. in essence, according to Bennis, leadership is by its very nature transformational rather than transactional'

Leading from the inside out: The art of self-leadership, Samuel Rima, Page 28