Management Vs Leadership

By Dr. Mario Barrett, Ph.D.

Management versus leadership, what's the difference? Is there a difference? Well, there has always been a difference, but people have not always known how to communicate the difference between the two, which is why in many instances, the terms are expressed in an indistinguishable fashion. However, a leader's role and a manager's role within any organizational setting is not interchangeable. This is not to say that an individual cannot possess the attributes of both, but do realize that their functions and outlooks pertaining to the existing paradigm/status quo (policies, practices, norms, standards, and rules) are very different.

In a nutshell, leaders can be seen as revolutionaries, change agents, and paradigm shifters. Their role is to get people with similar views and ideas together, in a inspirational and collaborative way in order to accomplish a given task or goal. Of most importance however, is that leaders often operate outside or in-opposition to, the parameters set by the existing paradigm/status quo in order to achieve their goals. This sometimes rebellious nature often brings about new and innovative ideas and ways of doing things that shifts or changes the existing paradigm/status quo.

Managers on the other hand, are also tasked with accomplishing goals, but they often confine themselves within the parameters of the existing paradigm/status quo. Managers often utilize people as well to achieve outcomes, but more often in a less inspirational and collaborative way. Therefore, it can be said that while managers are required to meet incremental outcomes, they are still dutiful gatekeepers of the existing paradigm/status quo. In contrast, leaders often identify and challenge the non-productiveness and inefficiency of the existing paradigm/status quo, creating a seemingly oppositional and chaotic environment that can yield innovative and wondrous outcomes that probably would not have been achieved within the existing paradigm/status quo that had been in place prior to the challenge.

Dr. Barrett has an earned PhD in applied management and decision sciences, with a specialization in leadership and organizational change. He also holds a MS in organizational leadership and a BS in organizational management. In addition to these degrees, Dr. Barrett has completed several executive certificates focusing on various areas of management and leadership development.

Dr. Barrett is proud of his academic accomplishments, as they are the product of his long and sometimes difficult journey out of poverty. Along his journey, Dr. Barrett served honorably in the U.S. Air Force, participating in several vital overseas operations in the Middle East and Europe. He has also taught organizational leadership courses at the graduate degree level at Mercy College. This desire to develop leadership whether it be in myself or others is what drives Dr. Barrett. Dr. Barrett currently lives in NYC, where he runs The Barrett Center for Leadership Development, LLC (http://www.TheBarrettCenter.com) and produces The Barrett Leadership Blog (http://www.TheBarrettCenter.blogspot.com).