SpawnPoint - Where Game Begins

Over the years the terms management and leadership have been so closely related that individuals in general think of them as one and the same. However, this is not the case even considering that good managers have leadership skills and vice-versa.....

Someone once defined these two positions as follows: -

Management involves power by position.  Leadership involves power by influence.

I have a different view.........

The manager administers; the leader innovates.
The manager focuses on systems and structures; the leader
focuses on people.
The manager relies on control; the leader inspires trust.
The manager asks how and when; the leader asks what and why.
The manager has his eye on the bottom line; the leader has
his eye on the horizon.
The manager accepts the status quo; the leader challenges it .

Managers are people who have been appointed in their position and have the power that allows them to direct and control their staff – managers are to be obeyed.

Leaders, however, can emerge from within groups and inspire and influence people through their vision. A leader doesn’t have to be in a position of authority, but people may naturally follow this individual of their own choice.

As such groups are often more loyal to a Leader than a Manager. The Manager rules, but the Leader is followed.

This is epitomized in the film “Brave Heart”. William Wallace, a mere clansman, leads the Scots to battle the English occupiers. Contrast this with Robert the Bruce, a Scottish Nobleman who has the authority to challenge the English. Robert the Bruce chooses to follow protocol and maintain the status quo with England – ‘doing things the right way’, yet he knows Wallace is ‘doing the right thing’.

This means that managers do things by the book and follow company policy, while leaders follow their own intuition, which may in turn be of more benefit to the company. A leader is more emotional than a manager . "Men are governed by their emotions rather than their intelligence". This quotation illustrates why teams choose to follow leaders.

When a leader emerges in a group containing a manager, conflict may arise if they have different views. When a manager sees the group looking towards someone else for leadership he may feel his authority is being questioned.

I think of myself as the "Community Leader" here on SpawnPoint and not the "Community Manager"...

Is this a flaw? Am I the "William Wallace" of SpawnPoint? In some ways I hope not, Wallace was hung drawn and quartered for daring to stand up for his values.............