Introduction
It is very difficult to distinguish between the meaning of leadership and management. However, scholars globally have maintained that management and leadership are very different (Denehy, 2008). The two terms have been used interchangeably in many occasions to mean the same thing. Nonetheless, leadership is mostly associated with ethics while management is based on professionalism (Marquis & Huston, 2012). To show the difference between the two terms, this paper seeks to identify and define their meaning. This will be done by comparing the characteristics of a good leader and those of a good manger.
Defining leadership and management
To understand the two terms, there must be a clear definition to make the functions of leadership and management clear. Management can be defined as a process or processes employed by an organization to keep it running or functioning (Marquis & Huston, 2012). Such processes seek to define the plans of the company, budgeting, staffing strategies, defining job descriptions, performance management strategies, and problem solving (Marquis & Huston, 2012). Leadership on the hand is different from management because its focus does not depend on the organization’s bureaucracies (Marquis & Huston, 2012). Leadership is the art of aligning people with the vision of the organization through effective communication, motivation and communication (Marquis & Huston, 2012).
Confusions made using the two terms
Leadership and management more often than not are confused interchangeably as if they meant the same thing. Evidently, the two words have a lot in common since they both are about leading people to achieve a goal (Kotterman, 2006). Although the two functions lead the people to achieve a set goal, there is a difference in how the goals are set. A leader leads people to achieve goals that he/she spearheads and in most cases, he/she is the author of the new direction that he/she wants the people to follow (Marquis & Huston, 2012). On the other hand, management is spearheading already established goals. According to Marquis & Huston (2012), managers on the other hand help organizations to realize its set goals.
Understanding leadership without management
To understand the difference, we must look at each of the two functions in the absence of the other. Leadership is about a continuous adjustment of direction while management involves controlling resources (Marker, 2010). Leadership sets direction for other people to follow but it may not offer guidelines on how to achieve such directions. Therefore, other people have to work on ways and strategies of achieving the new directions given by the leader to make it work (Marker, 2010). In an organization, an entrepreneur can develop new ideas and products but they rely on the managers to find the right staff to bring their idea into reality. The late Steve Jobs is a good example of a leader. As the creator of Apple products, he depended highly on his team of engineers to bring his creative designs into reality (Marquis & Huston, 2012). Employing the right and competent engineers however is the responsibility of the Human Resource manager.
Understanding management without leadership
Management on the other hand is different in the sense that managers have to work to achieve what has been decided. Management does not employ its own agendas in the organization (Zaleznik, 2004). Management in the absence of leadership controls the resources of an organization to maintain the status quo or ensure everything runs according to the already established plans (Zaleznik, 2004). A referee manages contesting teams to help the players to play within the set rules. Referees do not provide leadership since they do not provide a new direction or introduce new rules as the game progresses. Therefore, management is enforcing the desires and agendas set by other people but not creating one’s own agenda (Zaleznik, 2004).
Traits of good leader
A good leader must demonstrate honesty and integrity if people are to believe in the direction he/she is leading them. He/she must also have a clear and defined vision that shows where he/she is now and where he/she wishes to go (Jennings, Scalzi, Rodgers, & Keane, 2009). This enables the people to interrogate the leader’s intentions and weigh his/her credibility to lead them into that direction. In addition, good leaders must be able to inspire their followers and be ready and willing to challenge the status quo (Jennings et al. 2007). In summary, good leaders must display good communication skills in order to share their views for people to understand.
Traits of a good manager
Some of the above-mentioned traits can add value to a manager but it does not mean they are necessary for good management. To become a good manager, all that one requires is the ability to execute a vision, the process of doing it notwithstanding (Kumle & Kelly, 2009). The ability to give directions and have them executed is the main quality of a good manager. Managers have to be very effective in managing and establishing work rules and standards to meet the set targets for the organization (Kumle & Kelly, 2009). Good managers create a working environment that is conducive to the workers through addressing their needs and involving them in the decision-making processes (Kumle & Kelly, 2009). This is for the aim of achieving the goals set by the organization’s leadership.
Conclusion
This paper has defined leadership as the art of influencing people through effective communication, motivation and communication. The paper clearly points out that leadership is not necessarily depended or driven by the organizational goals and objective. Leaders may create alternative paths for their subjects to follow. On the other hand, the paper asserts that management is influenced by the organizational goals. Managers have been described as people who mobilize resources to attain and enforce the goals set by the organization. The moral and ethical aspects of human existence are rarely considered in management.
References
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Jennings, B. M., Scalzi, C. C., Rodgers, J. D., 3rd, & Keane, A. (2009). Differentiating nursing leadership and management competencies. Nursing Outlook, 55(4), 169–175.
Kotterman, J. (2010). Leadership versus management: What is the difference? The Journal for Quality & Participation, 29(2), 13–17.
Kumle, J., and Kelly, N. J. (2009). Leadership vs. Management. Supervision, 8(67), 8-10.
Marker, D. (2010). Leadership or management? Management Quarterly, 51(2), 31-34.
Marquis, B. L., & Huston, C. J. (2012). Leadership roles and, management functions in nursing: Theory and application. Philadelphia, PA: Lippincott, Williams & Wilkins.
Zaleznik, A. (2004). Managers and leaders: are they different? Harvard Business Review, 1(82), 74–81.