An e-mail from a reader following a recent editorial I wrote in Industrial Distribution contained an interesting comment about the terms "manager" and "leader."

"Leader, instead of manager, [was] adopted by our company years ago," said this reader, a manufacturer's rep whose opinion I greatly respect. "We believe the differences are enough to inspire our people to become leaders rather than managers. We have no managers...leaders are preferred here." (He says those viewpoints originated with the "Sales Rep Advisor" newsletter.)

The truth is that managers are appointed. Leadership is earned.

Having visited many companies over the years, both for ID and as a business editor for a large newspaper, I can tell within minutes how the president of a company is perceived by those who work for him.

For example, I met one CEO who had a buzzer beneath his desk, and during the interview he rang his secretary at least three times, chastising her when she was late on the third visit. He was an autocratic manager who didn't care (apparently) what people thought of him, because he was the boss. He didn't even know how he was perceived—but I did, judging from the looks employees gave him as we toured the plant.

He was a manager, not a leader.

Bill Belichick, the head coach of the New England Patriots, is a leader. So is Tom Brady, the team's quarterback. Jack Welch, the legendary former head of General Electric, is a leader (and a manager). It's amazing to me that so many of his former executives, including those who've left the company, have gone on to become heads of some of the larger companies in the country.

Tony Soprano, head of the Soprano crime family on HBO's award-winning series The Sopranos, is a leader. There was a famous scene on the show when Christopher, Tony's nephew, told his girlfriend Adrianna, that he "would go through hell for that man."

So what are the keys to being a successful leader? Some experts cite the following characteristics: trust, the ability to delegate, leading by example, empathy and directness. Probably the most important definition of a leader, in my opinion, is the ability to motivate others to achieve a common goal.

The question you have to ask yourself is: are you a manager or a leader?

jkeough@reedbusiness.com