“To improve is to change; to be perfect is to change often.”
– Winston Churchill
To concisely define leadership is challenging at best (just try Googling it)! Maybe it’s easier to distinguish between a leader and a manager.
Amongst other things, leaders need to be flexible and creative and should know how to handle the unexpected. The ability to roll with the punches, rather than rigidly sticking to ‘the plan’ is often the difference between a good manager and a great leader. A manager tends to find comfort in sticking to the rules, where great leaders adapt to a constantly changing environment, while always asking, “why”?
How often in our working life do we do things without stopping and thinking, “why do it this way?” A manager might like the safety of routine and structure, where a leader might question how challenging the norm can result in increased efficiencies.