INDEX NUMBER NAME

EF/BPS/18/0085 MESHACK BORTEY

The statement, managers do things right and leaders do the right thing was made by one of the

Pioneers in contemporary leadership studies, Warren Bennis in creating a distinction between

who a manager and a leader is in terms of their responsibilities in an organization. In

contemporary times, a leader is described as someone who can see how things can be improved

and who influences people in the organization toward that better vision and target of the

organization. Whereas a manager is a person who is responsible and in charge of coordinating

the efforts of individuals or the allocation of resources in the organization. Managers do things

right; leaders do the right thing is the primary difference between a good manager and a good

leader.

The statement, “Doing things right” means to do something the proper way, following

instructions, as per rules and standards that have been laid down. Now when managers are been

described as people who do things right, then it means that this people or person only follows the

instructions of doing things in the organization without any questionings on why things are been

demanded to be done so in the organization.

They only assume responsibility to the position or the office they are been placed to work at

which is based on the demand of role and specific way of completing the task they are supposed

to carry. They are not idea innovators in finding a new and easy way to doing things in the

organization but rather relies on existing patterns or way of doing things without modifying them

even if those existing patterns are not working out things perfectly. Instead, they only agree to

the existing pattern. Here, a good manager can accomplish only what has been defined and

documented for him or her without any questioning or any misconduct. They are usually with the
assertion “this is what we are been asked to do” when another person wants to bring ideas on

board to change the existing pattern or method of doing things.

Also, the statement “Do the right thing” means doing what is best for the greater or common

good. This definition or scope or statement posits that the individual in a given situation takes

decision in a given context to challenge a difficult situation. Therefore, when the statement “do

the right thing” is being asserted to the leader, it means that the leader is one who does not only

accept instructions or responsibilities in the organization but also questions why things are been

done the way it is in the organization.

The statement is usually associated with the interrogation “why” in quest to seek for more

clarification in the organization. The leader in this respect finds new ways of doing things in the

organization when they notice that the existing method or pattern is not improving efficiency in

the organization. The leader is also described as one who does not solely depend on laid down

principles or rules in carrying out a particular task but defines new ways of doing things in

different situation that will improve efficiency. That is, leaders are idea innovators in the

organization and are usually rewarded with the statement “you did the right thing” when they

complete a particular task with their own innovative ideas. A good leader in this respect is

described as one who is passionate about excellence and as a result, strives for continuous

improvements and change in the organization by putting up best methods and practices that will

help the organization flourish.

In the nutshell, the statement “Leaders are people who do the right thing; managers are people

who do things right” is often quoted to make a distinction between managing and leading

process.