3-4 Paragraphs- Organizational Leadership

OL 670 Module One 1

Leaders vs. Managers

“Leadership is different from management, but not for the reasons most people think.

Leadership isn't mystical and mysterious. It has nothing to do with having ‘charisma’ or

exotic personality traits. It is not the province of a chosen few. Nor is leadership necessarily

better than management or a replacement for it. Rather, leadership and management are

two distinctive and complementary systems of action. Each has its own function and

characteristic activities. Both are necessary for success in an increasingly complex and

volatile business environment.”

— John Kotter (2001, p. 3)

“Leaders” lead and “managers” manage. It is as simple as that.

In 1992, Harvard Professor Abraham Zaleznik wrote a highly controversial article for Harvard

Business Review titled “Managers and Leaders: Are They Different?” Zaleznik challenged

the traditional view of management by arguing that management “omits essential leadership

elements of inspiration, vision, and human passion”—all factors that drive organizational

success (1992, p. 74). From here, the debate of “leaders versus managers” flourished.

The title of this section was selected to spark reflection—and controversy. The fact is that in

the Knowledge Age, successful organizations need both “leaders” and “managers.” Leaders

and managers both have strategic roles to play in modern-day organizations. The manager

brings analysis, rationality, tolerance, and risk avoidance to the organization. The leader

brings inspiration, vision, passion, the ability to lead change, and a willingness to take risks.

The traditional role of the manager is to take an impersonal and passive outlook towards

goals. Goals for the manager arise out of necessity, not desire. The role of the manager in

the workplace is to negotiate and coerce, to design compromises, and to avoid risks.

Traditionally, managers have played an objective, unbiased role, attempting to avoid

emotional involvement and to focus on “process.” Managers build on existing organizational

strengths. In Knowledge Age organizations, the role of managers is required but must be

balanced by the role of the leader.

2 OL 670 Module One

The role of a leader in Knowledge Age organizations is to take a personal, active outlook

that shapes ideas and a vision for the organization. The leader’s role is grounded in

emotions—their own powerful emotions and the ability to evoke emotional responses in

others. A key characteristic of a leader is to effect change—to lead people to a new vision of

what can be and to guide them to the achievement of that vision. Leading change will be

discussed in Module Seven. A leader will take risks if the opportunities justify the effort, and

leaders will create an environment where creativity and innovation thrive. A leader is rarely

satisfied with the current state and will strive to alter human and economic relationships to

advance the organization.

Clearly, the Knowledge Age organization requires both leaders and managers to succeed.

Organizational leaders and managers must effectively coexist in order to challenge one

another and achieve a balance of analytical and emotional orientations.

OL 670 Module One 3

References

Kotter, J. (2001). What leaders really do. Harvard Business Review, 79(12), 3.

Zaleznik, A. (1992). Managers and leaders: Are they different? Harvard Business Review, 82(1), 74–81.