Leader or Manager?

Leadership is the art of accomplishing more than the science of management says is possible. A leader goes where there is no path and takes others with him or he leaves a trail for others to follow. A manager follows a trail and may bring others with him on the journey. He may direct others to follow the trail. A manager helps people to see themselves as they are. A leader helps people to see themselves better than they are. 

A leader composes the music from an idea in his head. A manager can direct the orchestra using the music written by the composer. A manager thinks that unless he has been explicitly told (Yes), he can't do it. A leader thinks that unless he has been explicitly told (No), he can do it. A leader will take chances and experiment. He is prudent, not reckless. A manager will weigh the pros and cons and decide what to do based on that analysis or his experiences or the experiences of others. 

A leader takes action without direction from others. Without guidance from regulations and policies, the leader acts using his best judgement to achieve a goal that he visualizes. A manager interprets regulations and policies and takes action based on those regulations and achieves goals set by others. A manager monitors the action. A leader influences the action. 

A leader has confidence in his ability and that of his subordinates. A manager has confidence in his ability to minimize risk through analysis and planning. A manager will make sure blame is affixed in accordance with the facts and credit is fairly and evenly distributed. A leader will take less than his share of the credit and more than his share of the blame - Pream Anand