For anyone interested with management
and organization, you need to understand that they are closely intertwined and
connected. They go together. They complement each other in development of
people, system, structures, organizational within the complexity of their
environment John Kotter makes the following observations: “Leadership and
management are two distinctive and complementary systems of action… Both are
necessary for success in an increasingly complex and volatile business
environment.”(Kotter 1996;84).
Therefore in seeking to understand
difference in management and leadership we focus on both the comparisons and
similarities.There is a great confusion about the difference
between a leader and a manager. While they may seem to be one and the same
thing, yet there are differences between leadership and management. I may
however agree, that in ever leader, there must be a small aspect of management
and for every manager, there must be some aspects of leadership.
Who are Leaders?
Leadership
means "the ability of an individual to influence, motivate, and enable
others to contribute toward the effectiveness and success of the organizations
of which they are members."
Leaders
inspire people.
In inspiration what leaders do to
their follower is they create deep urge that stimulate, motivate, encourage and
challenge people to arise up and pursue their purpose and focus on its
fulfilling. Inspiration reminds people that there are possibilities in situation
and contexts.
In her words Maya affirms that “I’ve
learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did,
but people will never forget how you made them feel.” (Maya Angelou 1997;56).
Leaders should make people confident. Quoted by Edel, John Quincy affirms “If
your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more,
you are a leader.” (Edel,2014;6 ). People need to feel they are valued and we
have confidence in their abilities .affirms Leaders innovate and focus on individuals. And further Blanchard
affirms the
key to successful leadership today is influence, not authority.” (Kenneth
Blanchard). As people get inspired they are influenced to accomplish both
personal and organizational goals.
Leader’s challenges people
professionally and spiritual.
One of the key ingredients of a
leaders is they challenge there people. They challenge them psychologically,
educationally, professionally and all around to be the best they and offer their
best. They challenge people to move from their comfort zones and do
impossibilities beyond their imagination. Napoleon asserts that ““Whatever the
mind of man can conceive and believe, it can achieve.”(Napoleon Hill 2000; 99).
They challenge both moral and character strength.
Leaders provide direction through
leadership
Leaders don’t micromanage people or
processes. They actually encourage participation in creating and providing
direction to people who in turn influence organizations. Drucker wrote. “The
task is to lead people. And the goal is to make productive the specific
strengths and knowledge of every individual”( Drucker 1974;45) They share the
ideal picture of a desire future. They provoke people to see the need for framework.
According Drucker’s assessment, a leader starts by asking, “What needs to be
done?” He noted the increasing prominence of “knowledge workers” and suggested
that the new challenge is to lead people rather than manage them. As they lead
they set the pace and direction which there follower would follow in seeking
solutions.
Leaders are transformational.
They
are concerned on process and not an event. In transformational concept the
leaders would focus on identifying, growing and releasing their follower to
lead and facilitate change in there organization. According to Burns, transforming leadership is a process in
which "leaders and followers help each other to advance to a higher level
of morale and motivation". (James Macgregor Burns 1978; 25). This process
involves the leaders taking into consideration the individualized
needs, engage in reflection and creative thinking that facilitates intellectual
stimulation, inspiration and influences that is contagious to the individuals
and organizations.
Leaders
influence people and the world
You
don’t need to have position to have influence. Being influence means as leader
you can use charisma and be able to sway people emotionally and psychologically
toward a cause. Leaders influence a person with characters that breeds in their
followers a sense of trust and honesty.
According
to Maxwell “The bottom line for followers is what a leader is capable of. They
want to know whether that person can lead the team to victory. Leadership is
influence, nothing more nothing less. Show you can lead a team to victory and
you will have shown you can positively influence your followers and
organization” (Maxwell 2007;9) Are often called brilliant and mercurial, with
great charisma. Yet, they are also often seen as loners and private people.
They are comfortable taking risks, sometimes seemingly wild and crazy risks.
Almost all leaders have high levels of imagination
Who are Managers.
Management comprises directing and
controlling a group of one or more people or entities for the purpose of
coordinating and harmonizing that group towards accomplishing a goal
Managers solemnly have the vision
of the organization
In his influential book “On
Becoming a Leader,” published in 1989, Professor Bennis wrote that a successful
leader must first have a guiding vision of the task or mission to be
accomplished and the strength to persist in the face of setbacks, even failure.”
( Bennis, 1989;100 As a manager you are the fulcrum of the organization and
company. All people look up on you to provide the vision. The employees may not
share in the vision or the task
Tend to be rational, under control
problem solvers. They often focus on goals, structures, personnel, and
availability of resources. Managers’ personalities lean toward persistence,
strong will, analysis, and intelligence.
Management is about performance.Managers
are employed by people and are expected to work for their bosses. According to
Belcker” People working for the autocrat believe they are working for someone.
Those reporting to the diplomat believe they are working zoit/i someone.”(Belcker
2012;68) And hence the manager people are very interested on the outcomes and
results. They would sacrifice everyone to be able to actualize the intended purpose
and mission of the company. Performance is motivated by a desire to release
good result and hence increase the company visibility and profit in the market
Manager focus on systems and
structures.Management is about organizing resources through directing, guiding,
recruitment, delegation amongst other actors that enables proper establishment
effective systems. They will constantly work hard to improve through branding
and marketing. These systems require effective control and being in charge. The
performance depends on management.
Managers
focus on skills.They believe that the skills are integral components of one’s
effectiveness in the organization. The jobs advertisements are based on the
type of education, the acquired skills and experience. They would rather pick
someone who has an impressive MBA than someone with a diploma. There
productivity is assumed to be based on the specific skill individual posses
Managers
focus on task.In management there are results, they require skills and also
performance. When all these process are directed successfully, what we achieve
is completion of a task. In most sitiations these tasks are expressed in form
of objectives and mission. The manager must ensure the task is done with all
competencies exhibited by the manpower.
In conclusion we have been able to
understand that leaders have specific qualities and characters that enhance their
influence in leading people. While managers focus on efficiency, skills,
performance, results oriented. The most important distinction between
leadership and management is that you do not need to be a manager to be a
leader, and being a manager does not automatically make you a leader
However we must recognize that the
difference between them is based on ideas, principles, and attitudes and focus
the hold. While managers work tireless through systems and process that
involves control, manipulation for profit and stability for their organization,
leaders on the other hand are able to understand people and provide chance and
opportunities for them to grow their talents and ability as they transform into
champions of change. I believe myself more a lead and less a manager even
though I have skills in magament.
