Ask HN: What is the difference between a “leader” and a “manager”?

You might enjoy one of my favorite quotes:

If you want to build a ship, don't drum up people to collect wood and don't assign them tasks and work, but rather teach them to long for the endless immensity of the sea.

-- Antoine de Saint-Exupery

Also related, I recently wrote an essay about how bad managers are like flailing curlers, while leaders act like kindergarten teachers:

[1] https://taylor.town/reputation-deadline

In modern companies, there is a tendency to use the word "leaders" for everything.. however, for me, it comes down to autonomy and power. Managers typically do not get a lot of autonomy - their job is to implement the policies as dictated. A leader, on the other hand, owns the means to meet the end.

For e.g., if you have the capability to create the team you want for achieving your goal, you are a leader. If you have to make to do with a team given to you, you are a manager.

From sometime in the past: "Leaders lead people. Managers manage things."

Etc: https://duckduckgo.com/?q=Leaders+lead+people.+Managers+mana...

This is talked about in this book

https://www.amazon.com/Good-Great-Some-Companies-Others/dp/0...

In short a manager's job is smooth out the bumps, make all the little things go right. A leader sets the direction, inspires people, etc.