Leaders vs Managers:
The Sad Case of Colin Powell

Leadership isn’t easy or glamorous or about career advancement or “winning”. It’s often not about pleasing your boss, but rather doing the opposite of what your boss wants.

One reader wrote to me: “Your story at the World Bank was very interesting. I have to admit that I probably would have given up, resigned, and moved on !?!?!  Congratulations on sticking with it and making a difference.”

What the book argues is that leadership isn’t a glamorous activity centered on career advancement. Often it’s antithetical to career advancement or even being a loyal manager as part of the managerial team or doing what your boss wants.

Managers are expected to accept whatever the organization wants and to make that happen. By contrast, leaders often challenge what the organization says it wants and create new goals.

The case of Colin Powell is a striking example of this difference. After a brilliant career as a soldier, as a manager, he was faced in 2003 with the choice of doing what his boss wanted or becoming a leader. The story of his career, and indeed world history, will always be marked by the fact that Powell chose to be a loyal staff officer rather than a leader. Read: Colin Powell: Loyal Staff Officer or Leader

http://www.stevedenning.com/Documents/ColinPowell.pdf