Management is sub-set of LEADERSHIP…

The phrase “Management is doing things right; leadership is doing the right things” is a famous distinction often attributed to Peter Drucker, a renowned management consultant. It succinctly captures the fundamental difference in focus between these two critical functions.

Let’s break down what each part means:

Management: “Doing Things Right”

This aspect of the quote refers to the efficiency and effectiveness of execution. Managers are primarily concerned with:

Processes and Procedures: Ensuring that tasks are performed correctly, according to established guidelines, and with minimal waste. This involves optimizing workflows, implementing systems, and adhering to standards.
Efficiency: Maximizing output with the least amount of input (time, resources, money). It’s about getting things done quickly and economically.
Control and Coordination: Overseeing operations, allocating resources, setting deadlines, monitoring progress, and ensuring that individual efforts are aligned to achieve specific, pre-defined goals.
Maintaining Stability: Focusing on the day-to-day operations, problem-solving within existing frameworks, and ensuring smooth functioning.

Example: A manager “doing things right” would ensure that a production line operates at peak efficiency, minimizing defects, maximizing throughput, and staying within budget. They’d focus on optimizing each step of the manufacturing process.

Leadership: “Doing the Right Things”

This part of the quote refers to the strategic direction, vision, and purpose. Leaders are primarily concerned with:

Vision and Strategy: Defining what the “right things” are – the overarching goals, the desired future state, and the strategic path the organization should take. This involves foresight and big-picture thinking.
Effectiveness (in a broader sense): Ensuring that the organization is pursuing the most valuable and impactful goals. It’s about identifying opportunities, adapting to change, and choosing the right battles.
Inspiration and Motivation: Communicating the vision compellingly, inspiring people to commit to it, and fostering a culture that encourages innovation and adaptation.
Challenging the Status Quo: Questioning existing assumptions, identifying new directions, and being willing to make difficult decisions that might disrupt current operations for long-term gain.

Example: A leader “doing the right things” might recognize a fundamental shift in the market and decide to pivot the company’s entire product strategy, even if it means discontinuing highly efficient existing product lines. They are asking, “Are we even building the right product for the future?”

Why the Distinction is Important:

Avoiding “Efficiently Doing the Wrong Thing”: You can be incredibly efficient at building a buggy whip, but if the world has moved to automobiles, your efficiency is useless. Leadership ensures you’re building the right product; management ensures you’re building it well.
Resource Allocation: Leaders decide where resources should be focused, while managers decide how those resources are used efficiently within that chosen direction.
Adaptability and Innovation: In a rapidly changing world, organizations need strong leadership to identify new opportunities and threats and steer the ship in the correct direction. Without this, even the most efficiently run organization can become obsolete.
Purpose and Morale: People are more motivated and engaged when they understand the purpose behind their work and believe they are contributing to something meaningful. Leadership provides this purpose, and good management helps them achieve it.

Management is about tactics and execution, making sure the journey is smooth and efficient. Leadership is about strategy and direction, making sure you’re heading to the right destination. Both are essential for sustained success, but they operate on different levels of focus and impact.

The statement “Management is a subset of leadership” highlights a common understanding that while distinct, management operates within the broader scope of leadership. Here’s why this perspective is often held:

1. Leadership sets the vision, Management executes it:

Leadership: Focuses on setting the strategic direction, creating a compelling vision for the future, inspiring and motivating people to embrace that vision, and fostering a culture of innovation and change. It’s about “doing the right things.”
Management: Focuses on the practical implementation of that vision. It involves planning, organizing, staffing, directing, and controlling resources (including people, time, and budget) to achieve specific goals efficiently. It’s about “doing things right.”

2. Leadership is about influence, Management is about authority:

Leadership: Derives its influence from personal qualities, communication skills, and the ability to inspire trust and commitment from followers. A leader can emerge from any level of an organization, regardless of their formal title.
Management: Derives its authority from a formal position within an organizational hierarchy. Managers are granted specific responsibilities and the power to direct subordinates.

3. Leadership deals with change, Management deals with complexity:

Leadership: Is often associated with initiating and guiding change, challenging the status quo, and adapting to new environments. Leaders thrive on uncertainty and help others navigate transitions.
Management: Is about maintaining order, stability, and predictability within existing systems. Managers focus on optimizing processes, solving day-to-day problems, and ensuring smooth operations.

4. Leadership cultivates people, Management utilizes resources:

Leadership: Focuses on developing people, empowering them, and building strong relationships. Leaders nurture potential and foster a sense of shared purpose.
Management: Focuses on the efficient allocation and utilization of all resources, including human capital, to achieve defined objectives.

In essence:

Imagine a ship. The leader is the one who sets the destination, inspires the crew to believe in the journey, and guides the ship through uncharted waters. The manager is the one who ensures the ship is properly maintained, the crew is organized, supplies are stocked, and the daily operations run smoothly to reach that destination.

Without leadership, management can become directionless, merely maintaining the status quo without a compelling purpose. Without management, leadership’s vision might remain just that – a vision, lacking the practical means for execution.

Therefore, management is considered a subset of leadership because effective leadership often encompasses sound management practices. A true leader understands that their vision needs to be translated into actionable plans and efficiently executed, which requires strong management skills. While not every manager is a leader, many effective leaders also possess excellent management capabilities.

The statement “Management is a subset of leadership” is indeed extremely powerful in defining the relevance of synchronicity and effectiveness because it highlights that for any endeavor to be successful, there needs to be a seamless integration of forward-thinking vision and efficient execution.

Here’s a breakdown of why this statement is so potent and its implications:

Why “Management is a Subset of Leadership” is Powerful for Sync and Effectiveness

This statement implies a hierarchical and complementary relationship:

Leadership provides the “Why” and “Where”: It establishes the purpose, vision, and strategic direction. Without this, management is just busywork, lacking meaningful impact.
Management provides the “How” and “What”: It translates the vision into actionable plans, allocates resources, and ensures efficient execution. Without this, leadership’s vision remains an unrealized dream.
Sync for Effectiveness: When management operates within the framework set by leadership, there’s a powerful synergy. The team is not only clear on the destination but also has the structured path and resources to get there. This prevents wasted effort, misaligned activities, and ultimately, leads to higher effectiveness and desired outcomes.

Different Situations & Events Demanding Proactive & Responsive Roles

Both leadership and management roles are critical and often shift in prominence depending on the situation:

Proactive Roles (Often Led by Leadership with Management Support):

Market Disruption/Technological Shifts:
- Leadership: Proactively identifies emerging trends, redefines organizational purpose, and champions new strategic directions (e.g., Blockbuster failing to pivot to streaming, Netflix leading the charge).
- Management: Proactively plans for new resource allocation, talent acquisition for new skills, and process re-engineering to support the strategic shift.
Organizational Growth/Expansion:
- Leadership: Proactively envisions future market penetration, new product lines, and cultural evolution to support expansion.
- Management: Proactively develops scalable operational models, establishes new reporting structures, and optimizes supply chains for increased volume.
Vision Setting & Goal Establishment:
- Leadership: Proactively articulates inspiring long-term goals and a compelling future state.
- Management: Proactively translates these goals into measurable KPIs, allocates budgets, and sets project timelines.
Culture Building & Transformation:
- Leadership: Proactively defines core values, champions ethical behavior, and drives cultural change initiatives.
- Management: Proactively implements policies and practices that reinforce desired cultural norms, ensuring daily operations align with values.

Responsive Roles (Often Led by Management with Leadership Oversight):

Crisis Management (e.g., product recall, PR disaster, economic downturn):
- Management: Responds immediately by activating emergency protocols, coordinating communication, and troubleshooting operational issues to mitigate damage.
- Leadership: Provides responsive guidance on overall strategy, maintains stakeholder confidence, and makes high-level decisions regarding the organization’s long-term reputation.
Operational Failures/Unexpected Challenges:
- Management: Responds by identifying root causes, implementing corrective actions, and optimizing processes to prevent recurrence (e.g., addressing a sudden drop in production efficiency).
- Leadership: Responds by providing strategic oversight, ensuring lessons are learned, and supporting management’s efforts to stabilize operations.
Employee Relations Issues/Conflict Resolution:
- Management: Responds by mediating disputes, applying HR policies, and finding practical solutions to maintain a productive work environment.
- Leadership: Responds by reinforcing values, ensuring fair treatment, and maintaining an environment of trust and respect.
Market Feedback & Customer Complaints:
- Management: Responds by analyzing feedback, implementing product/service improvements, and adjusting operational processes to meet customer needs.
- Leadership: Responds by evaluating strategic implications of feedback and potentially re-evaluating market approach.

Essential to Master Both for Success, Dominance & Empowerment

Mastery of both leadership and management is not merely beneficial; it is critical for sustained success, market dominance, and individual/organizational empowerment.

Success Dominance:
- Without Leadership: An organization becomes a highly efficient machine moving nowhere, or worse, in the wrong direction. It might be good at “doing things right,” but fails at “doing the right things.” This leads to stagnation and eventual irrelevance in dynamic markets.
- Without Management: A brilliant vision remains an abstract idea. Plans are chaotic, resources are mismanaged, and execution falters. This leads to missed opportunities, wasted potential, and failure to achieve even the most inspiring goals.
- Mastery of Both: Creates an organization that is agile, purposeful, and efficient. It can envision the future and build the pathways to get there, allowing it to outmaneuver competitors and secure a dominant position.
Empowerment:
- For Individuals: When people operate with both a clear understanding of the ‘why’ (leadership) and the structured ‘how’ (management), they feel more confident, capable, and empowered to make decisions and take ownership. They understand their contribution to the larger picture.
- For Organizations: An organization that effectively blends leadership and management empowers its teams at all levels. It fosters a culture where strategic thinking informs operational excellence, and operational insights feed back into strategic adjustments, creating a virtuous cycle of continuous improvement and adaptation.

What Should Be Done to Bring Out the Best Leader in Everybody

Bringing out the best leader in everyone requires a multi-faceted approach, recognizing that leadership is not just a title but a set of behaviors and a mindset.

Cultivate a Growth Mindset: Encourage continuous learning, self-reflection, and a belief that leadership skills can be developed.
Provide Opportunities for Ownership & Autonomy: Allow individuals to lead projects, take initiative, and make decisions, even at lower levels. This builds confidence and practical experience.
Mentorship and Coaching Programs: Pair aspiring leaders with experienced ones. Mentors can offer guidance, share experiences, and provide feedback. Coaches can help individuals identify strengths and development areas.
Leadership Development Programs (Formal & Informal):
- Formal: Workshops on strategic thinking, emotional intelligence, communication, conflict resolution, change management.
- Informal: Lunch-and-learns, book clubs focused on leadership topics, cross-functional project assignments.
Empowerment and Delegation: Trust people with responsibility and authority. Clearly define desired outcomes, but allow individuals the freedom to determine the best path to achieve them.
Foster a Culture of Psychological Safety: Create an environment where people feel safe to take risks, voice ideas, challenge the status quo, and admit mistakes without fear of retribution. This is crucial for innovation and growth.
360-Degree Feedback: Provide regular, constructive feedback from peers, subordinates, and superiors to help individuals understand their leadership impact and areas for improvement.
Recognize and Reward Leadership Behaviors: Acknowledge and celebrate instances where individuals demonstrate proactive leadership, mentorship, innovation, and strategic thinking, even if they aren’t in formal leadership roles.
Lead by Example: Senior leaders must model the leadership behaviors they wish to see throughout the organization. Authenticity is key.
Encourage Cross-Functional Exposure: Having individuals work on projects outside their primary domain broadens their perspective and develops a more holistic understanding of the organization, fostering strategic thinking.

Diversity Impact Through SWOT Analysis: Frameworks & Practices

To illustrate the diversity impact through SWOT, let’s consider a company aiming to build a more diverse and inclusive workforce and leadership, applying leadership and management frameworks.

Frameworks & Practices:

Strategic Vision (Leadership): Clearly articulating a vision for diversity and inclusion (D&I) as a strategic imperative, not just an HR initiative.
- Practices: Public commitment from CEO, D&I goals integrated into company strategy, dedicated D&I council.
Resource Allocation & Metrics (Management): Budgeting for D&I initiatives, setting diversity targets, and tracking progress.
- Practices: D&I budget line item, diversity hiring targets, retention rates for underrepresented groups, pay equity audits.
Inclusive Culture Building (Both): Creating an environment where diverse perspectives are valued and everyone feels they belong.
- Practices: unconscious bias training, employee resource groups (ERGs), inclusive communication guidelines, flexible work policies.
Talent Management (Both): Ensuring diverse talent is recruited, developed, and promoted equitably.
- Practices: Diverse interview panels, sponsorship programs for high-potential individuals from underrepresented groups, D&I goals linked to manager performance.

SWOT Analysis: Impact of Diversity through the Lens of Integrated Leadership & Management

Here, “Diversity” refers to the presence of a wide range of human qualities and attributes within an organization, including but not limited to race, gender, ethnicity, age, sexual orientation, disability, socioeconomic background, and thought diversity.

Category	Strengths (Internal, Positive)	Weaknesses (Internal, Negative)	Opportunities (External, Positive)	Threats (External, Negative)
S (Strategic Vision – Leadership)	S1: Enhanced Innovation: Diverse perspectives lead to more creative solutions and problem-solving (e.g., unique product ideas for diverse markets).	W1: Resistance to Change: Leaders lacking a strong D&I vision may face internal resistance from ingrained biases or comfort with the status quo.	O1: Attract Top Talent: Strong D&I vision makes the organization an employer of choice for a diverse global talent pool.	T1: Brand Damage/Loss of Trust: Perceived lack of D&I leadership can lead to negative PR, consumer boycotts, and damage to employer brand.
W (Workforce & Talent Mgmt – Management)	S2: Broader Market Reach: Diverse teams better understand and serve diverse customer bases, leading to market expansion.	W2: “Tokenism” & Unintentional Bias: Management practices may inadvertently lead to token hires or unconscious biases in performance reviews/promotions.	O2: New Market Segments: Diversity in workforce allows for better understanding and entry into previously untapped demographic markets.	T2: Talent Exodus: Failure to manage diversity effectively can lead to high attrition rates among diverse employees, resulting in loss of investment and expertise.
O (Operational Efficiency – Management)	S3: Improved Decision-Making: Diverse groups consider a wider range of options and anticipate more potential pitfalls.	W3: Communication Challenges: Initial communication barriers or cultural misunderstandings can arise if not managed properly.	O3: Partnerships & Alliances: Diverse network opens doors for collaboration with diverse vendors, suppliers, and community organizations.	T3: Legal & Regulatory Risks: Non-compliance with D&I regulations can result in costly lawsuits, fines, and reputational damage.
T (Team Cohesion & Culture – Both)	S4: Stronger Employee Engagement: Inclusive culture fosters a sense of belonging, increasing morale and productivity.	W4: Ineffective Conflict Resolution: Differences in work styles or communication can escalate into conflict if not mediated with inclusive practices.	O4: Enhanced Reputation & ESG: Strong D&I efforts improve corporate social responsibility (CSR) standing, appealing to ethical investors and socially conscious consumers.	T4: Internal Division & Factionalism: Poorly managed diversity can lead to internal silos, lack of trust, and decreased collaboration.
I (Innovation & Adaptability – Both)	S5: Greater Adaptability: Organizations with diverse thinking styles are more resilient and agile in navigating complex, changing environments.	W5: Slower Decision-Making (initially): Diverse input can sometimes lead to longer discussions before consensus is reached, if not facilitated effectively.	O5: Best Practices & Benchmarking: Opportunity to learn from other diverse organizations and adopt leading D&I practices.	T5: Missed Opportunities: Inability to leverage diverse insights can lead to missing emerging trends or failing to identify market gaps.

Conclusion:

The statement “Management is a subset of leadership” encapsulates the fundamental truth that a compelling vision (leadership) must be meticulously executed (management) for any organization to thrive. Mastery of both is not a luxury but a necessity for achieving sustainable success, establishing market dominance, and empowering individuals and the collective. Building a truly diverse and inclusive organization exemplifies this synergy, leveraging leadership’s strategic foresight and management’s operational discipline to transform potential into tangible strengths and competitive advantages, ultimately navigating threats and seizing opportunities for long-term impact.

Anupam Sharma

Psychotech Evangelist

Coach I Mentor I Trainer

Counselor I Consultant