Warren Bennis famously distinguished leaders from managers in his classic work, particularly in his book:
“On Becoming a Leader” (1989)
While Bennis did not propose a formal “theory” with a specific name (like transformational or situational leadership), he outlined a clear conceptual framework differentiating leaders from managers based on 12 key contrasts.
✅ According to Warren Bennis, here are some of the distinctions he made:
| Managers | Leaders |
|---|---|
| Administer | Innovate |
| Imitate | Originate |
| Accept the status quo | Challenge the status quo |
| Ask how and when | Ask what and why |
| Focus on systems and structure | Focus on people |
| Rely on control | Inspire trust |
| Short-term view | Long-term perspective |
| Do things right | Do the right things |
🔍 Key Point:
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The phrase “Do the right things” is specifically attributed to leadership in Bennis’s view.
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The phrase “Do things right” belongs to managers, focusing on efficiency and compliance.