ed that a new type of leadership is required by contemporary corporations, because they are required to (a) overcome resistance to change, and (b) resolve conflicts within their organizations. Once again, these requirements do, indeed, exist. The point is, however, these requirements were not new in the 1980s. Managing change and leading organizations through change are tenets of the combined function of managing and leading - today as they have been in the past.
The need for organizational leadership and management has always existed. Kotter (1988) and others appear to confuse leadership and management with line and staff functions within an organization. Much of what these experts somewhat derisively refers to as management characteristics are in fact characteristics, which would be appropriate for an individual discharging a corporate staff function. Conversely, much of what these experts glowingly describe as leadership characteristics is in fact characteristics, which are useful for individuals in corporate line positions. Leadership and management are, however, not separable. Persons in position
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