Managing and Leading

What is the difference between managing and leading people? The biggest difference is the way they motivate people. Managers have a position of authority given to them by the company they work for and their subordinates do what they tell them to do. The subordinates do the work not because they are robots but because they have been promised something in return-usually a paycheck. I found this to be the case when I was an assistant manager at Wendy's and at McDonald's. My name badge and my uniform gave the the authority to tell my crew people what station they were going to work at, how much food to prepare and what tasks needed to be done before a given shift was over. Whereas leaders have voluntary followers who for one reason or another find appeal in the leader. Leaders are risk seeking and their followers are willing to also find some comfort in the risk because it resonates with their belief systems. According to one article I read many leaders had at one time or another some type of disability to overcome such as traumatic childhoods, or a handicap which taught them to have independent thinking and not to worry about what others think of them. Leaders have excitement for work whereas managers work for money. According to Blankstein (2010) leaders who "make a point to clarify the greater purpose" allows the organization to thrive and survive even after the departure of the leader and not leave a hole in their wake (p214).