I know a lot of people that think the secret path to career success (at least in large corporations) is to become a manager. In my career as a manager, I have talked many people out of "moving up the management ladder." For some, management is an easy way to gain authority. They think with it comes respect. But directing people via chain of command is management. Not leadership.
It is much harder to get people to do what you want out of respect, and inspiration. That is what a leader does. A leader paints a vision so compelling that people who have no reason to do so, want to follow. People that may report to them, and people who may not.
Here are a few traits of a leader that I have gathered from other leaders in my last 10 years.
You might be a leader if you:
Celebrate the paradox (something could be right and wrong at the same time) and live and love it.
Are lonely and uncomfortable
Are willing to be wrong
Are a role model, constantly
Are hands on, micro knowledge vs micro management
Optimize by having way to much to do
Celebrate the half life of "bad ideas" (everyone thinks their ideas are great, and everyone else’s are bad. If you let people sit with your idea for a while, over time they will start to see your idea as their own, and it will suddenly become much better.)
Invent expectation (invent, not set.)
Are very self critical
Eliminate Bososity (Guy Kawasaki)
Obviously, this isn't exhaustive, and some of these may be controversial. But I know that being a leader is harder than being a manager, but I also think it is more rewarding in the end.