Perhaps because they are both skills attributed to C-suite executives, leadership and management are sometimes used interchangeably when people think about a business education. However, in practice, these are two distinct skillsets for business leaders to learn and develop - and both are essential for success.
Management positions control key decisions and day to day operations across one or more units within an enterprise. Managers are responsible for setting business goals, planning how to achieve them, and overseeing their successful execution.
Leadership, on the other hand, is all about people - and people can’t be ‘managed’ like a spreadsheet or a supply chain! Instead, people need to be led. That means inspiring, coaching, and mentoring your team in a way that reaches them as individuals as well as a group.
In a sense then, management and leadership are two sides of a coin: on the management side, you’re responsible for setting and achieving plans, and on the leadership side, you’re motivating the people responsible for executing them. That’s why the best executives tend to excel at both - and why an education in both can help your career take you to the top of any organization!