Management And Leadership

A leader can be a manager, but a manager is not necessarily a leader. The leader of the work group may emerge informally as the choice of the group. If a manager is able to influence people to achieve the goals of the organization, without using his or her formal authority to do so, then the manager is also demonstrating leadership. This paper discusses the roles and responsibilities of an effective leader in any organizational culture.

Leadership and management are two words that are used interchangeably. However, these words actually describe two different concepts. Leadership is just one of the many assets a successful manager must possess. The main aim of a manager is to maximize the output of the organization through administrative implementation. To achieve this, managers must use organizing, planning, staffing, directing, and controlling but a manager cannot just be a leader, he/she also needs formal authority to be effective.

Without leading as well as managing, organizations face many threats. A manager is hired by the organization and is given formal authority to direct the activity of others in fulfilling organizational goals. Thus, leading is a major part of a manager's job. Yet a manager must also plan, organize, and control. Leadership deals with the interpersonal aspects of a manager's job, whereas planning, organizing, and controlling deal with the administrative aspects (Bateman 2004).

Leadership deals with change, inspiration, motivation, and influence. Management deals more with carrying out the organization's goals and maintaining stability. A manager should plan, organize, lead and control, while a leader influences people through motivation, communication, group dynamics, and discipline. The manager’s purpose of directing is to channel the behavior of all personnel to accomplish the organization's mission and objectives while simultaneously helping them accomplish their own career objectives (Leadership vs. Management,2006).

Leadership is a relationship based on mutual influence and common purpose between leaders and employees in which both are moved to higher levels of motivation and moral development as they affect real, intended change in their organization (Chapman, 2005). Loyalty is important amongst leaders, and team members tend to be more loyal to their leaders than their manager’s. This is due in part to leaders accepting the blame for when things go wrong, celebrating team/group achievements and giving credit when it is due. Managers do not interact with their subordinates as much as leaders do because leaders do not have subordinates they have followers (Chapman, 2005). A manager is someone who must be obeyed and a leader is someone who people choose to follow. The fact that teams can operate without a leader defines leaders as an asset and not essential to team success. Managers and leaders may often clash due to difference of opinions and views. Although a team is knowledgeable, on whom the manager is a subordinate may often appear to be an informal leader. At this point, a manager may feel that his or her authority may be in question. Managers must be able to accept ideas and views from their subordinates (Leadership vs. Management, 2006).

In managing, the person takes more of a passive role in employee performance, conduct and accomplishments, while leadership takes a more active role. Managers accomplish their objectives through people. In blaming others for his/her human resource problems, a manager is denying the management responsibilities inherent in the directing function. Effective managers who are also leaders help people in the organization accomplish their individual career goals.

Organizations do not succeed while their people are failing. Helping people in the organization with career planning and professional development is an integral part of the directing function. Managers usually do things by the book and follow company policy exactly, while leaders follow their instinct; the leaders often question tradition. A leader tends to be more emotional than a manager.

It is important to realize, especially in small groups, that mangers are not always the leaders. Other employees with certain talents and ideas lead a group. When this does happen, conflict may arise, if the manager and the leader have different views. Additionally, the employees are sometimes more loyal to the leader than their manager. The loyalty comes from the leader taking the blame when things go wrong, while the managers point fingers and the leaders give accreditation where it is due while the managers accept all the credit.

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