Either / Or: Leadership vs. Management

Leadership, management, and administration, are technically the same

Better taught as principles that are paradoxical, not as a set of rules

Adizes teaches - leadership, management, and administration, etc. are essentially the same thing. Literally they are one and the same. When translated in different languages the distinctions between these terms lose any subjective associations one might have. They mean something like to drive, direct, organize, arrange, influence, change.

Often when one speaks of leadership as distinct from management or administration, etc., the intention is to point to a particular type of leadership as distinct from another type. But simply enough different situations require different types or styles of leadership.

To a degree, an individual can adapt his or her style of leadership to the situation, and sometimes it is suitable to switch the person doing the job, as some are more fit, by nature or by training and experience. That is also part of leadership - knowing to discern the situation and adapt the method according to need and destination.

How does one know to discern and decide? That is what makes leadership an art, not a science. There are many teachings and examples to learn from, but there is no rule book, because there is no way to determine absolutely even afterwards what the right decision was.

There are innumerable circumstances and subjective perceptions at play. Leadership involves making decisions in a jungle of situations, dynamics, considerations, and potential outcomes. Therefore it is better to speak of principles of leadership, and examples from experience.

Such principles more often than not are paradoxical, they are values that clash or are in tension with each other, which is again why it is very much the art of discernment, decision-making, and tactical execution.

Perhaps when people discern between leadership and management, etc. they are associating it with virtue. Management with virtue, meaning and values, and purpose and influence, is what we mean by leadership versus management, though these are all management positions we are referring to. Rare is a job title with the word ‘leader’.

#leadership