IMBAT, Lyka Mae Pangram-uyen BSN IV-A DRAWING THE LINE Why leaders makes more difference than

managers.

The boss drives his men; The leader coaches them. The boss depends on authority; The leader on goodwill. The boss inspires fear; The leader inspires enthusiasm. The boss says I; The leader, We. The boss fixes the blame for the breakdown; The leader fixes the breakdown. The boss knows how it is done; The leader shows how. The boss says, Go; The leader says, Lets go! -H. Gordon Selfridge

Nowadays, leadership and management are two words used interchangeably as though they are synonyms. But fact is, they arent. There is a profound chasm that draws a line between being a leader and being a manager. For some, leaders are better, but still for others, they go for managers. Yes, they have their own strengths and weaknesses but for me, Id rather work for a leader than a manager.

A huge difference between leadership and management is the position or title itself. Being a manager is an appointment, it is a position which requires a formal writing in order to consider an individual as one. On the other hand, being a leader is a characteristic. It is a trait innate to a person such that it comes out naturally when it should. It has an informal appointment

and such appointment comes from the people, not a single individual, who knows what they need and who they want to follow. This way, people will be more willing to work, theyll exert more effort and theyll offer more dedication when they work not for their boss, but for their leader.

While a lot of people possess the ability to think logically, rationally, smartly and all the adjectives that can put in it, only a few, chosen people has the ability to work effectively with people. This called emotional intelligence or emotional quotientanother edge that leaders have over managers. Most managers are thought to be copies, they are historiansthey work by the book and according to their experiences in the past. Although these characteristics are important, there are still things that should be more emphasized such as being able to connect with people.

In the movie entitled Gladiator, Maximus was depicted to be highly favored by the people and the Emperor to be granted temporary leadership of the Roman Empire as the power is shifted to the Roman senate. This scene is not new. Many generals actually come into political power because of their experience of leadership in their own battalions. But why do they earn esteem in being such? Its because of simply being a leader. They do not just sit in a comfortable sofa under a beautiful house and instructing their people what to do, but instead, they go out to the battle field, they talk to their men, they encourage them, and they stand in the front line. Yes, leaders are those who stand in the front line. They do not let their men fall and if they fail, they are the first to be shot dead. Leaders show their followers what to do and how to do it well. Leaders, in fighting their fights, in doing what needs to be done, they are at the front line.

Managers are people who does things right. They follow rules and regulations utmostly and they work hard to achieve a status quo. Leaders, on the other hand do not. They take risks, they challenge everything. While adhering to the status quo may be safe, wouldnt people want something better? And isnt it that something better comes out of change? This is the ultimate advocacy of leaderschangea change for the better, for a better outcome and for them and their followers, improvement.

Management and leadership also gives rise to another point of argumenteffectiveness versus efficiency. Managers strive to be efficient, to get more out of everything while leaders are more concerned with effectiveness, to incur betterment. A leader can recognize that he is not the best and he cannot do everything, but he believes in his followers. He inspires and empowers them. And with this, together they bring about success.

As one brilliant mind stipulated, the man who gets the most satisfactory results is not always the man with the most brilliant single mind, but rather the man who can best coordinate the brains and talents of his associates. That is, a leader.