Introduction
Management and leadership are two key success factors of an organization. It is imperative that all individuals who are willing to take leadership positions to understand their superiors and subordinates. This would assist them in understanding the various leadership styles to apply in different situations. Ultimately, this would result to greater efficiency and success in the workplace. Tasks would be achieved in a shorter time and much more diligently (Bittel, 1974).
Body
Some of the main lessons learned in the week include; the interrelationship between leadership and management. Effective leadership cannot be achieved without the individual’s clear understanding of management skills. Though people may have the traits of a good leader, they may fail in managerial positions if they do not understand their participation in management functions.
These include controlling, organizing and planning. Secondly, excellent managers must understand how much they can depend on their subordinates. This can be identified through planned tests. A manager may ask their subordinates questions to which they know the answers. This would expose their skills and knowledge of the tasks laid before them. Thirdly, leaders must understand the different leadership styles to apply in different situations.
Some subordinates may call for a direct approach while others may perform better under the indirect approach. In other cases, a manager may use the “guided democracy” method. This involves giving chances to subordinates to participate in the running of some areas of responsibility. Though their suggestions may be solicited, they may not be involved in the ultimate decision-making (Bittel, 1974).
The importance of the three main lessons exceeds the mere usefulness in the every day running of the organization by a manager. They are the key success factors that distinguish between legitimate managers and incompetent managers. The knowledge of the interrelationship between leadership and management is of importance to me because one cannot thrive without the other. In the workplace, I must exhibit outstanding leadership alongside adequate controlling, organizing and planning.
The knowledge of subordinates’ skills is of importance to a manager while delegating authority. Some employees may perform better than others while others may have specialized knowledge in a given area. As a manager, I would assign tasks based on the skills of each employee under my supervision. Finally, differentiating between the characters of different individuals would ensure that the manager applies the most appropriate leadership style to manage his workforce.
Where subordinates show responsibility in the workplace, I would adopt a “guided democracy” leadership style. This would involve soliciting for their opinions and views in the completion of different tasks. Such knowledge would ultimately guide me through a successful term in my leadership; resulting to optimum results.
Conclusion
The three main lessons are applicable in the daily performance at the workplace. In times when I will hold managerial positions, I will maintain a balance between exemplary leadership skills and management functions that I may be required to fulfill. The knowledge of subordinates’’ skills will help ensure avoid inappropriate performance of tasks. I will ensure that all members receive as much responsibility as they can handle. Finally, before embarking on guiding a set of employees, I will take time to study their unique characters to avoid clash of interests in the process of completing tasks and assignments.
References
Bittel, Lester R. (1974). What Every Supervisor Should Know. New York: McGraw Hill.