“Are you a Manager or a Leader?”
By: Justin Waggoner, Ph.D., Beef Systems Specialist
I recently came across an article that contrasted management and leadership (Learning for future and personal and business success by Bob Milligan). Many of you, like myself, who always arrive at the most logical conclusion quickly are likely saying “a manager is a leader” and, yes, that is true. However, there is a difference between the roles and responsibilities of managers and leaders. Leaders give an organization direction. Leaders focus on the future by motivating individuals or groups of individuals. Managers tend to be less focused on the future, and more on the here and now. Managers organize, plan, budget and ultimately implement the vision of the leader. Are you a leader or a manager? Is it possible to be both? As organizations and businesses grow larger, structure becomes more important because of the established fact that it is “hard to see tomorrow, when you are buried in today.”
For more information, contact Justin Waggoner at jwaggon@ksu.edu.
