Managers versus Leaders

I have been wondering - what's the difference. I hear about so many B-schools opening in India, about graduates getting salaries equivalent to those they'll be paid if they were to graduate from any of the top schools in the world. But, how many of these managers are actually leaders? Are these schools churning out leaders or managers? Are these schools serving the society by creating leaders or are these schools making money for their trust or owners by creating managers? In truth how many of the graduates of these schools are leaders ? But before I pass an opinion on these schools, how is a leader different from a manager?

I was confused by the difference between managers and leaders. What makes an individual a manager and what makes an individual a leader? In my experience, a manager is a person who can envision, plan and execute. Then what does a leader do and how is the leader different from a manager? While reading the biographies of some great leaders some traits appear to be common to all of them - leadership is taking a step forward when 99.9% of the reasons are against that step. Leaders anyways take that step. Call it faith in themselves, or the invisible and the unknown but leaders rise above the ordinary reality. Managers wait till there is 99.9% certainity and then execute their plans. Does it mean that managers do not have faith in themselves, the unknown and the invisible - well may be or may be not - but certainly most managers accept their own limitations.

Leaders are not stopped by opposition, resistance, discouragement, multiple no etc. Most leaders persist and believe in their vision and their work. The stories of Vinobha Bhave, Ela Bhatt, Aung Sang Suu Kyi, Gandhi are inspiring. Managers persist till they find some workable solution or till the time persistence makes sense.

Leaders put interest of others before their own self interest. I don't know what managers do, but I am certain that true leaders are motivated by much more than their own self-interest.

I am still studying this topic and will keep adding to this post as I find more points.

If bullets in their own backyard can't wake people up, then what will!

26/11 happened in South Mumbai and the public outrage at the post-26/11 demonstrations (the demonstration at the Gateway of India on Dec 6) made me think that people were serious - serious to bring about a change. At-last, people were shaking-off their apathy and waking up. But April 30, 2009 presented a completely different picture. What happened to those promises to bring about a change in those post-26/11 demonstrations, where did that public outrage disappear? Why was the voter turnout a mere 43% in Mumbai. If bullets in our own backyard can't wake us up then what will? I am heartbroken to see this public callousness?

Gandhi said 'Be the change you want to see', change begins with us - but unfortunately many of us chose to use the long weekend to go on a holiday rather than vote. Many of us missed out on the opportunity to be the change we wanted to see. God forbid, if 26/11 repeats, what will we do? Demonstrations, ad-campaigns - I am sure we will do that all, but at that time who will believe us, who will trust our seriousness and our anger? By abstaining from our duty to vote haven't we exposed our vulnerability and haven't we have become an easy prey to politicians who can now use us at their will to meet their vested interests and give us the easy reason; 'you chose us'!

My heart goes out to the activists who campaigned day and night urging people to vote. What a waste of their effort, what a waste of resources but above all what a brutal waste of an opportunity! This act of ours is totally unforgivable.