In my experience, I have had good leaders who were not good managers. I've also had good managers who were not good leaders. I've also worked for bad leaders who were good managers. I can say, without a doubt, that the best people I worked for were good at both leading and managing.
A good leader must inspire people; to motivate them. They must have the "big picture" and set the goals of the organization. The good manager needs to execute the plan to achieve the goals.
A good leader needs to have vision and think outside the box. A good manager needs to be organized and possess good attention to detail.
I recall reading somewhere that leaders have followers; managers have subordinates. That sums it up pretty well, if the person in those roles is not dual hatted with their abilities.
Since most of my experience in leadership and management are from the Navy, the examples I refer to are Navy related. To have a successful command, the commanding officer, or CO, should be a good leader. The CO sets the tone for the ship by establishing the mission and priorities. The good CO should inspire his or her crew to do their very best to accomplish the mission.
The executive officer, or XO, runs the ship. The XO ensures the missions are met, by establishing and enforcing the daily routine and overseeing the administrative actions. A good XO should be a good manager.
Rear Admiral Grace Hopper, whom I had the pleasure of meeting when I was a midshipman at the Naval Academy, summed it up, "You cannot manage men into battle. You manage things; you lead people."
If you are lucky, you will be able to work for both a good leader and a good manager. There are a few out there. Is it necessary to be both? No, but the person with both skills has a far greater chance of success.
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