3 key differences between managers and leaders Essay

3 key differences between managers and leaders - Essay Example Kotter asserts that when an individual is playing the role of a leader he comes up with new ideas and plans and persuades his/her followers into thinking about a future that is both positive and beneficial in nature (KOTTERMAN, 2006, p.15). A leader always has to keep his eyes open for opportunities and develop new techniques and strategies in accordance to these opportunities. On the contrary, a manager has the responsibility of maintaining how the organization is currently running and the culture that has been adopted by the organization. His main aim is to secure the organization’s bottom line and maintain discipline through his controlling role. According to Nicholaides’ research that the role of a leader is to inspire his/her followers to make them perform at their best and he is well aware of how follower’s pace of work can be increased (Nicolaides, 2010, p.32). He asserts that success in leadership is not dependent on what the individual leader does; it is rather dependant on what the followers do in response to a leader. On the other hand a manager is an individual who uses his control over the employees and subordinates by assisting them in developing their personal asserts and helping them in using their best talents. Any individual within the organization can become a leader, a leader’s power are not dependant on the position he is assigned to within the organization. For example: a leader can be an executive working in the information technology department. This is because he has expertise and information that nobody else within the organization has and in order to obtain his/her expertise, followers accept him/her as a leader. Stanley suggests that a manager obtains his power due to his/her management level position within the hierarchy of an organization (STANLEY, 2006, p.33). Grint asserts that even managers are followers of a leader as a leader creates the