Introduction
It needs to be understood that leadership and management are different. Most performing managers possess leadership traits, but not all leaders can manage effectively. Moreover, analytical powers, business acumen, and strategic decision-making skills may not always be found among leaders. Managers use their thinking faculties to sharpen their skill sets in given areas, and then use them for organizational benefit, whereas leadership entails self-assessment and self-analysis, and the deployment of their personalities for motivating and commanding others. (Shenkman 2007).
Differentiation between leadership and management
Leaders are trailblazers, they set new routes for others to follow, and are essentially fearless and adventurous, whereas managers seek conformity with corporate ideals and procedures. Through management, the company seeks compliance with the work assigned to the workforce; initiates action for ensuring that the workforce conforms and complies with their duties and responsibilities towards the organization. Thus, manufacturing new products and entering new product markets would need leadership roles while company auditing and internal control would need managers to oversee such processes and procedures. Management channelizes group efforts for the determination of pre-set precepts and practices. (Leadership and Management. 1995). Leaders are born and evolve positively with circumstances, challenges and threats.
Characteristics of leadership
Leadership can be exerted even when the leader is not present, is in exile, prison, or when he/she ceases to hold power. Leadership involves voluntary followership, whereas managers enforce conformity and obedience. Managerial authority may flow from loyalty, or experience, and not from leadership traits. Though lacking organizational dexterity, a leader may still draw followership through sheer charisma and vision. (The Difference Between Management and Leadership: The Leader is Followed, The Manager is Ruled. 1997).
Thus it is seen that there are major differences between a leader and a manager. While leadership may be a characteristic intrinsic, situation-based, and relating to external stimuli, management is extrinsic, relates to man’s conformity and adherence to pre-determined goals and objectives. Again, to a large extent, leadership skills are innate and surface when occasion demands; leadership is manifested when a ship is distressed in the high seas, the crew and passengers are endangered. The captain of the ship has to display leadership skills, encounter and overcome the dangers and take the ship and passengers safely to shore. Whereas under normal circumstances, the captain may only perform managerial tasks of ensuring that all matters relating to the ship’s movement and passengers are taken care of. Thus, situational aspects and personal characteristics highlight leadership, whereas making sure that routine tasks and conducts are ensured are managerial functions. There are many aspects that leadership needs to understand, especially in a multi-national setting. Leadership needs to understand various diversities like gender, nationality, sexual preferences, disabilities, etc., which, while positively harnessed could bring in productive results, but if not handled tactfully could lead to a host of undesirable issues.
Similarities between leadership and management
The realization of objective is important in corporate situations, and form the crux of managerial and leadership activities. Thus, the fact that both leadership and management are result-oriented and intent upon consolidating company in terms of its commitment to stakeholders and others, both roles are similar in nature. Further, both leadership and managerial skills can be improved through practice and positive traits could benefit both the individual and the company. Both leaders and managers co-exit harmoniously and are essentially inter-dependent on each other. Handling expertise may be needed by leaders, and often managers need to assume leadership roles. Thus, in certain respects they are not only inter-dependent but essential for each other. It is evidenced that both leadership and management are critical components of organisational fabric. Management is required for optimising use of assets for building and implementing critical plans. Leadership is necessary for building innovative business and both are of vital significance for business enterprises. (McCrimmon 2008).
Significance of the distinctions
The distinction between leadership and management is important for quite a few reasons. Leadership denotes a genre of skill sets like motivation, resolving conflicts, eliminating high risk situations, ensuring that the company is moving in high growth areas, neutralizing competitive elements and taking strategic managerial decisions.
Management, on the other hand, seeks balancing of tasks and performance, ensuring compliances and remedying situations where mismatches between tasks and accomplishments occur, either through discipline or some other effective method. While both leadership and management roles are of similar magnitude, management has a larger responsibility since it also has to work out effective strategies and execution plans for gaining maximum performance from the workforce. (McCrimmon 2008).
However, while management is all encompassing and broadly deterministic, leadership is narrower and task focused. It is always on the move, seeking new solutions for existing problems, even forecasting and eliminating future risks and threats to business and seeks to keep the business on course with corporate aims and objectives through strategic decision making and innovation.
Conclusion
It could be concluded that both managers and leaders are essential for business operations and its growth and development over a period of time. Both are equally important and contribute significantly to managerial performance. While leaders provide risk insurance and hedges against business perils, managerial activities ensure compliances and conformity with enterprise norms. Enterprise planning, organizing and motivating are of no use if not implemented regularly and managerial tasks ensure that these are constantly performed at competent levels.
Bibliography
Leadership and Management. (1995). [online]. Team Technology.co.uk. Web.
MCCRIMMON, Mitch. (2008). The Strategic Manager: The Importance of Leadership and Management. [online]. Web.
SHENKMAN, Michael. (2007). Can you Turn Managers into Leaders. [online]. Web.
The Difference Between Management and Leadership: The Leader is Followed, The Manager is Ruled. (1997). [online]. Web.