Discuss Zaleznik's basic premises and set forth the criteria he presents which distinguish a manager from a leader. .
In "Managers and Leaders: Are They Different?" Abraham Zaleznik presents five main characteristics that distinguish a manager from a leader. Zaleznik discusses the process of seeing a difference in a manager's and a leader's personality as a determinant of their leadership style. A manager's personality is to focus his or her energy through three common elements: (1) goals and objectives, (2) limited resources and (3) people. Managers work with people and the organization's goals, resources and structures to effectively and efficiently solve problems to prevent the contribution to the organization from being stifled or hindered. A manager's personality includes persistence, tough-mindedness, hard work, and most important tolerance and goodwill (p. 127). Managers are driven by narrow purposes and do not value an imaginative capacity for innovation or ingenuity as it would stray from the overall purpose/goal of the managerial organization.
A leader's personality is to focus on people (his or hers employees or customers) and through these relationships the leader needs to find ways to develop and magnify their capabilities and purpose. Zaleznik discusses how often the conception of leadership is attached to mystical beliefs in which only great people are worthy of the drama of power and politics. Taking into account the very popular quote of leaders being born, not created establishes the idea that leadership tendencies and qualities are an inborn personality trait. Those who are successful in their pursuit of leading have a natural ability to command a room and motivate those who are under them to achieve success. .
Although personality plays a pivotal role in determining factor in distinguishing managers from leaders, the difference in attitude in pursuit of goals is another factor in and of itself.