The economic conditions now facing the construction industry demand the best from leaders and managers of construction firms. But wait, you say, don't leaders and managers do the same things, just on a different level? Well, not always.

Leaders have the responsibility of creating a vision for their organizations, planning the now, and the two-year plan, and the next and the next and the next-years' goals. They decide what they want their organization to be and to do, lay out the plans by which their vision may be accomplished, and then—often the hardest part—motivate all the required players to get on board. Not just get on board, but do so with enough enthusiasm and dedicated energy to see them through the long, hard days that usually follow. Leaders who do this best are those whose passion for their plan is strongly felt and seen by others. This is contagious and builds on itself.

A classic example of this kind of leader was President John F. Kennedy, who told Congress in 1961 that he wanted the U.S. to land a man on the moon by the end of that decade. Imagine how outrageous that idea seemed at that time. Not every leader could have so ignited the imaginations of Americans, but Kennedy's imagination jump-started one of the great national efforts in history. We all know the rest of that story. But every successful business, political, governmental, and non-profit organization has its own leader who is effective to one degree or another and will not thrive without one.

Good managers, on the other hand, are those who see to it that their leader's vision is carried out by acquiring the capital, materials, knowledge, tools and manpower necessary and using them effectively to accomplish the goal. Not all managers would be excellent leaders, and not all leaders would do well at managing even their own vision, but each is indispensable to any important undertaking.

If you are a commercial contractor or residential builder, chances are good that you perform at least some of the duties of manager, if not all, but you cannot escape being the leader. You, the leader, must hold you, the manager, accountable for carrying out the vision and goals you have set for your company.

Leadership is a theme throughout the book, Construction Business Management: What Every Contractor, Builder and Subcontractor Needs to Know, by Nick Ganaway. Nick was a successful general contractor for 25 years and is a consultant in Atlanta, Georgia for contractors and other small business owners.