There is always a misconception that all managers are leaders. People often make the mistake of thinking anyone above their line on the organigram is a leader, of course, the difference exists and is huge. That's because managers manage systems and leaders lead people.

Managers are spoted everywhere in organisations but leaders are scarce.

Leaders have no need to continually reemphasize that they are leaders. They don't claim to be leaders on their social media profiles or carry heavy descriptions on the about pages of their websites. Instead, leaders simply lead by example.

Leaders step in to show direction and guide processs when everyone else is panicking about the uncertainties the future might hold. That is how they command our respect.

Leaders by their nature are daring and incredibly courageous. They have a consistent value system and stand up for what they believe in. They aim to do well for and as a team by making everyone around them do better. Leaders inspire others by what they do. They’re exceptionally valuable and extremely rare.

Fake leaders are easier to identify

The fake ones do not lead. They tell us they are leaders and hope we never notice the emptiness in their claims. But people notice. We see them acting behind a crowd; sharing leadership nuggets on social sites, taking selfies with other leaders… yet never actually leading.

For them, it’s about telling not leading.  they're obsessed with self-proclaimed titles, The DR's, Eng's and never the respect of their marketplace or community. They follow the trending flock, they do not lead.

The following are the trends of fake leaders:

1. They're deceptive in their speech and attitude.
2. They have lots of acronyms attached to their name -- and lots of insecurities and braggadocio attached to that.
3. They control others and force them to do what they want instead of what is appropriate.
4. They overcommit and rarely deliver on their promises.
5. They make excuses when things go wrong, leading others to mistrust them.
6. They always assume you have led your entire life. They don't know what it means to listen or obey.
7. They aren't interested in fostering other leaders. They have no interest in helping others accomplish beyond their present limitations. Yet they need followers to validate their sense of worth and "power

Don’t be trapped by the leadership trap.

The lesson here is simple. Be suspicious of  following anyone who self-proclaims that they are a leader. Instead, decide for yourself based on what a person does and what they fail to do. Leaders lead. They don’t talk about it. They do it.