“Leaders are people who do the right thing; managers are people who do things right.”

This is a good quote. And it got me thinking about the role of leadership versus the role of management. I had a bit of an epiphany when I equated in my mind these things:

• Leadership=accountability=ownership=the throat to choke
• Management=responsibility=doing=get 'er done

I like to tell people that they call them "managers" because they just manage to get by...Leaders should the first out of the trench and the last on back into to the next trench. They MUST lead by example. Their followers have elevated them to the status of leaders exactly because they seek an example to follow. You cannot appoint someone to be a leader:

"The person at the head of the room is not always the leader; it is the
person that everyone turns to when they begin to speak..."--Charles Schwab

If I am going to follow someone I want them to be a leader. I am smart enough and experienced enough and can think on my feet enough to manage myself. But sometimes I just want an example (a mentor) to follow. Someone who can take me to new heights and new challenges. I know the skills to climb the mountain. But I do not always know the best route to follow. That is where a leader comes in.

Managers can take you to the top of the mountain; leaders will get you safely back down the other side...