Ted Knight, in his new e-Book titled Leadership: What it is, How it Works and How to Make it Happen, makes the following observations about the difference between leaders and managers. He writes:

"Proverbs 29:18 tells us that where there is no vision the people perish.

Leading is not managing.  Managing is focused on doing things right while leading is doing the right things.  Did you ever hear the expression that someone "led everyone down the trail to the swamp"?  His management was good but without direction.

Recall the joke about the airline pilot who announces over the intercom, "Ladies and gentlemen, we have good news/bad news.  The good news is the flight is ahead of schedule but the bad news is we don't know where we are!"  Again, managing overtakes leading.

It is almost always best to make decisions at the lowest possible level because it helps to ensure that decisions are made by the people closest to the situation.  A simple example is in ordering office supplies.  The clerk in charge of that has more knowledge about supply use and frequency than the president of the company does.  So the clerk should make the decisions about when and how much to reorder.

It is important that the right decisions are made.  How do you make good decisions and avoid making bad ones? There is no sure method.  It takes practice and requires judgment based upon experience.  That's why top leaders are paid well in America, for their judgment.  The good news is that there are ways to help improve decision-making and avoid making mistakes. "

Consider joining Ted and myself for one of our two-day Executive Leadership Training seminars this year and receive Ted's book with compliments. We will be offering these seminars in North Carolina in May, Michigan in June, Tennessee in July, Minnesota in August, Las Vegas and Oklahoma in October, and Las Vegas again in November. If you are in a leadership position today, the whole world needs you. Our world has gone topsy-turvy. The news of people eating dirt to stay alive because the price of food is too high tells us that indeed, without vision the people perish. Come and sharpen your vision. You make a difference!