The Confusion between Leadership and Manager

I sometime wonder that why Managers think of them as leaders. For the benefit for all, let me describe the both:-

A Manager is the person responsible for planning and directing the work of a group of individuals, monitoring their work, and taking corrective action when necessary. For many people, this is their first step into a management career.

While Wikipedia explains the trait of Leadership as the “process of social influence in which one person can enlist the aid and support of others in the accomplishment of a common task”. Definitions more inclusive of followers have also emerged. Alan Keith of Genentech states that, "Leadership is ultimately about creating a way for people to contribute to making something extraordinary happen." According to Ken "SKC" Ogbonnia, "effective leadership is the ability to successfully integrate and maximize available resources within the internal and external environment for the attainment of organizational or societal goals."

Now purely based on the definition itself, these are two different definitions and an entirely different traits. So why anybody should refer as themselves as Leaders. The right to call a leader is entirely with the followers.

Equally, the true leaders are not worried about any “titles”, they are more worried about doing things. Who takes what credit is something beyond true leaders. True leaders are something made of deliveries and not credits.

I wonder if people like Mahatma Gandhi, Martin Luther King, and such people were worried about what people call them. They are part of the what they called was a “movement” or a “thought”. A thought of – freedom, right, win, teams, etc. 

I myself is yet to discover any traits of a leader within me, however clear about one thing that I have worked hard to only achieve the title of a manager but certainly need to do much more to earn the the title of leader with the work I may do…

Have a good day!