Leadership and management are frequently mentioned together. They are not, however, the same thing. They do go hand in hand and are linked by necessity. They are complementary facets of organisational maintenance and development. Attempting to separate the two is likely to result in problems for your organisation. The leader’s job is to inspire and motivate; while the manager’s job is to plan, co-ordinate and organise from both a strategic and operational perspective. Even though the delineation of the two elements may cause problems, much has been written and said on separating them out comparatively. In 1989, Warren Bennis (American scholar, organisational consultant and author), who famously said that ‘Failing organizations are usually over-managed and under-led’ composed a list of the differences in his book On Becoming a Leader.

– The manager administers; the leader innovates.

– The manager is a copy; the leader is an original.

– The manager maintains; the leader develops.

– The manager focuses on systems and structure; the leader focuses on people.

– The manager relies on control; the leader inspires trust.

– The manager has a short-range view; the leader has a long-range perspective.

– The manager asks how and when; the leader asks what and why.

– The manager has his or her eye always on the bottom line; the leader’s eye is on the horizon.

– The manager imitates; the leader originates.

– The manager accepts the status quo; the leader challenges it.

– The manager is the classic good soldier; the leader is his or her own person.

– The manager does things right; the leader does the right thing.

There have been times when the separation of leadership and management has been put into practice. In a factory during the industrial revolution a foreman would not have been tasked with thinking about that which he was overseeing the production of, or the people producing it. He or she simply had to follow orders and organise the arrangements for the work to be carried out, co-ordinate the results of production and ensure that the job was done as had been ordered to be done. For our industrial-era foreman, the emphasis was on efficiency.

Today, the value that is added to the production of goods and services comes from knowledge of people. In an organisation where the people working are no longer seen as cogs in a machine, leadership and management are not easily separated. The expectations of workers now, quite rightly, extend not only to being assigned tasks but being given the definition of their purpose within the organisation. While managers must continue to organise workers in order to maximise efficiency, they must now also develop the talent of the workers, nurture them and inspire results.

At Alternative Partnership, leadership and management training, coaching and mentoring, are our specialisms. Every business needs inspirational leaders and skilled, effective managers. If you or your team members want to raise your game, we offer first-class development opportunities at every level. At Master’s level, we will improve the efficacy of the decision-making and Leadership in your organisation via the provision of training in Strategic Leadership and Executive Leadership. Our Degree level training in Management comprises Operational and Strategic Management. We provide excellent development opportunities to team leaders, first line managers and departmental managers. Our qualifications are all nationally respected and accredited by leading bodies such as Pearson, the Institute of Leadership and Management (ILM) and NCFE. We offer broad-ranging flexibility in delivery, and all levels of training can be delivered in the training room and in the workplace.