Take a walk into the bookshop in the big malls, the magazine stands in the streets, and the airports’ book section one thing is prevalent, there are numerous books on leadership and management skills. The books and catalogs are in high demand hence the reason why the books are bestsellers. Society has bestowed a lot of power onto those that are able to make mobilize humans and solve effectively any crisis that occurs. The writers of the books are often political, business or religious leaders who often want to share the secrets behind their successful ventures. They may do so by writing books or developing teachings that other people can subscribe to and learn the concepts. Leadership and management may share a concept but they are differentiated at large. This paper aims at a tearing the two apart and analyzing each as a unique unit. Their contrast and comparison points will be explored in detail. Then the concept of participation as a necessity to effective management will be discussed. The situation at hand that changes from management to leadership style of running a company will be tackled and a sound conclusion will be drawn based on the principles of business management. The reader should be able to differentiate the two concepts and decide which suits them best.
Leadership and management are two aspects of the business world. Any organization requires the two in order to succeed. “Leadership is a process whereby individual influences a group of individuals to achieve a common goal” (Ricketts, 2009, p1). This definition has hidden aspects of leadership. According to the definition, leadership is a process. A process often involves steps to attain completion of purpose. Leadership definition also acknowledges that there is influence and a group is also involved to meet certain set goals or objectives. Management on the other hand according to Ricketts (2009, p2) is to effectively exercise the administrative, supervisory and executive course of an organization, or as according to Farlex (2010, para.3) it is the aspect of controlling resources and expenditures of an organization. These two meanings are great insights into what management is all about. The first meaning points out management from the authoritative point of view while the second definition looks at management from the involvement point of view.
Leadership and management have many different qualities and aspects. The aspects can only be explained through the participants. For a leader to be effective in any organization they need to possess certain traits. These traits according to Ricketts (2009, p3) include efficient coaching skills, long-term focus, strong self-esteem, sincerity, trust, inspiring, creativity, sense of priorities, have a visionary sense, possess contextual or technical expertise, have great listening skills, show great confidence, portray a service mentality and have the willingness to share credit where earned and share key responsibilities when relevant. Managers on the other hand have to have self-motivation, possess conflict-resolution abilities, have the ability to be team players, portray an optimistic attitude, develop the ability to remain calm and cool even in disturbing situations, have knowledge of the industry and stay updated with current development ,have leadership skills, establish dependability, integrity and trustworthiness and have the urge to provide great customer service skills as stated by Vercillo (2010, p1).
Leadership and management have both similarities and differences. The document will tackle the differences than the similarities between the two concepts.
The first difference is that leadership as opposed to managing is often concerned with what exactly needs to be done while management on the other hand focuses on how things should be done as stated by foster(2005, p 22). This is evident in organizations since managers most of the time impose concepts and projects on the staff irrespective of their views. Another emphasis of the point is drawn from the definition of the concept where management is viewed as an authoritative approach manner.
Another contrast between the two is that leadership is more on the people’s focus while management’s focus is on the work. Leaders according to changing minds (2002, p1) are always good with people, and give credit to others and they even take blame when due. Managers on the other hand are paid to meet organizational targets with often limited resources namely: money and time. This brings out the manager as hostile while the leader is in favor of the subordinates.
The third difference is leaders do not have subordinates while managers do. According to changing minds (2002, p1) when leaders want “…to lead, they have to give up formal authoritarian control, because to lead is to have followers, and following is always a voluntary activity”. The leader is more approachable and may seem even at the same level those he leads while a manager as stated by Changing minds (2002, p1) has power over others as prescribed by the authority or the organization.
Managers are often perceived as risk evaders while the leaders take risks by the horns. The managers like to run things smoothly while the leader is more of a visionary person and will often explore new aspects of the business to achieve the unknown.
The similarities are as follows. They both have a common aim. This aim is to achieve the set goals. A manager and the leader or in the event that a person posses the two traits will be turntable to ensure the organization achieves even beyond the expectation.
The second similarity is that they both mobilize and make use of resources. A business or organization often faces a shortage of resources namely: money, quality labor and time. The leader or manager has to totally exploit the available resources to achieve the set goal while creating very little strain to the organizations’ operations.
The third similarity is that the two positions either leadership or managing aim at linking the top management and the employees at different levels. Every organization has bureaucratic levels through which communication and internal transactions are operated. The manager upholds these levels with a lot of emphases and ensured that his position is well known and distinguished while the leader encourages his followers to almost disregard his status but focus more on the opportunity the position presents for improvement.
The fourth similarity is the dependence on the subordinate to make the organization work is common among both concepts. The staff level of motivation and commitment to the company will greatly affect the way the company develops I the long run. The leaders award the ones with high motivation with promotions or trophies to encourage the rest to follow suit. The manager will approach motivation in terms of monetary value while the leader will target the employee’s ego and loyalty to the company.
Participation of staff is important in any organization. It can be direct or indirect. Various internal events occur in an organization such as formulation of policies that govern the relations between employees and employers and among themselves. The manager is often in charge of the internal environment of the organization. Participation in the making of such policies and others that are subject to affect the internal environment of the organization is important. The employees should be informed of changes either in production or management to avoid confusion. The organization should always clarify when there is conflict to avoid chances of encountering an industrial action. There are various points at which participation is necessary. Human resource is an important aspect of the business. Involving the staff when improving or bringing in a new product, implementing new technology, changing mode of production and cutting down on some utilities and privileges help create better internal relations in an organization. Involving the staff helps to win over their loyalty and trust. A well-motivated employee who feels that they are part of the firm will be more productive than one who is neglected by the organization.
The situation that had been presented required change from Managerial mode of operation to leadership-oriented organization. The business leader would benefit more from using the leader approach since the business requires the employees to give quality mass production which is only achievable under leadership. The managers are often in charge of the staff who in turn manage the production level based on their output. It would be more rewarding and less costly to target the staff on a leadership basis rather than keep rehiring new employees due to the high turnover based on the harsh status of work.
In conclusion, the leadership model of operating top staff positions is more recommended. The paper aimed at comparing the leaders to the managers based on skills, concepts, approached and motives towards the organizations they run. The two were then compared and differentiated to enhance the readers’ take on the topic. The employee participation was evaluated and its importance was outlined. It was discussed that good managers and leaders indulge their staff in decisions that may affect them either in the short-term or long term. Then the focus was drawn back to the initial situation presented regarding the mode of management the subject company was to approach. The best mode of running such organizations is by using leadership and management skills.
Reference
Changing Minds. (2002). Leadership Vs. Management. Web.
Farlex. (2010).Free dictionary. Manager. Web.
Forster, Nick. (2005).Maximum Performance: A practical guide to leading and managing people at work. Cheltenham: Edward Elgar.
Ricketts, Kristina. (2009).University Of Kentucky College of Agriculture. Leadership vs. Management. Web.
Vercillo, Kathryn. (2010).Hubpages10 Traits of a Successful Manager. Web.