leadership vs. management
Assignment # 2 – Leadership vs. Management
Management and leadership ability are by themselves very unique and distinct, but also interchangeable because to be an effective manager one must also be skilled in leadership.
Developing and demonstrating skill sets in both management and leadership is critical for managers to be able to do both, and to grow capacity in both areas. Although the skills required are the same, managing and leading are quite unique in the qualities that are presented when one is doing either one or the other. Management is task-oriented and is focused on executing, maintaining, and controlling under normal circumstances. In the presence of change, conflict, and crisis, managers need to be able to demonstrate leadership behaviors in order to navigate an organization in a positive way through these events.
In a position of authority, a manager may be asked to control costs, manage people, and coordinate projects. These are all management tasks in nature and are associated with power or authority within the realm of a manager’s position. A manager should be able to maintain stability and performance of their teams – these are management skills at a basic level. Being a leader is different in the sense that it requires the ability to create positive change, add value, and look for ways to improve an organization. Put simply, leadership is the ability to influence, motivate, and enable people to contribute towards organizational success. Leading by example and by enabling people are the characteristics of action-based leadership and again show that leadership is a behavior and not a task to perform.
In the face of change or turbulence in an organization, such as facing strong competition or an economic downturn, management skills are not enough to deal with these types of environmental forces. Such events require leadership in order for organizations to innovate,
change direction, or do something new. Having management
Management and leadership ability are by themselves very unique and distinct, but also interchangeable because to be an effective manager one must also be skilled in leadership.
Developing and demonstrating skill sets in both management and leadership is critical for managers to be able to do both, and to grow capacity in both areas. Although the skills required are the same, managing and leading are quite unique in the qualities that are presented when one is doing either one or the other. Management is task-oriented and is focused on executing, maintaining, and controlling under normal circumstances. In the presence of change, conflict, and crisis, managers need to be able to demonstrate leadership behaviors in order to navigate an organization in a positive way through these events.
In a position of authority, a manager may be asked to control costs, manage people, and coordinate projects. These are all management tasks in nature and are associated with power or authority within the realm of a manager’s position. A manager should be able to maintain stability and performance of their teams – these are management skills at a basic level. Being a leader is different in the sense that it requires the ability to create positive change, add value, and look for ways to improve an organization. Put simply, leadership is the ability to influence, motivate, and enable people to contribute towards organizational success. Leading by example and by enabling people are the characteristics of action-based leadership and again show that leadership is a behavior and not a task to perform.
In the face of change or turbulence in an organization, such as facing strong competition or an economic downturn, management skills are not enough to deal with these types of environmental forces. Such events require leadership in order for organizations to innovate,
change direction, or do something new. Having management
References: A.D. Amar, C. Hentrich, and V. Hlupic. To Be a Better Leader, Give Up Authority. Harvard Business Review. December 2009. Accessed from: http://hbr.org/2009/12/to-be-a-betterleader-give-up-authority/ar/ Gerzema J. “Feminine” Values Can Give Tomorrow’s Leaders an Edge. HBR Blog Network. August 2013. Accessed from: http://blogs.hbr.org/2013/08/research-maleleaders-should-think-more-like-women/ Kanter R. M. Six Extras that Build Power and Leadership. Harvard Business Review Blog. October 18, 2010. Accessed from: http://blogs.hbr.org/2010/10/six-extras-that-buildpower-an/ Whetton, D., & Cameron, K. Developing Management Skills. Eight Edition. Prentice Hall.Upper Saddle River, NJ. Print 2011.