Leadership

Management and Leadership... What’s the difference?

A manager is someone who gets their results in a way which may seem quite clinical in extremes. By clinical, I mean the employees or workforce may be faced with strict rules and boundaries, offered little freedom or democracy, and feel the manager is impersonal or not sensitive to the individuals wants and needs.
The qualities which are essential in a manager are an ability to plan and organise, so that maximum efficiency is achieved and problems are solved or avoided (Kerzner, 2009). They prefer predictable outcomes, and deem emotional involvement as unprofessional, as it may warp a workers focus and resulting output.

A leader has a much more personal approach to the way they direct a group. They encourage and motivate people by offering a democracy within a group, and usually have the skills needed to inspire people to visualise and follow in the direction they’re attempting to establish. The goal of a leader is to transform something for the better, to the speeds and abilities of the group, rather than having set targets and results. It’s a matter of ethics and moral compass, with the willingness to remain vulnerable (Daft, 2008).


The ‘managerial grid’ developed by Blake and Mouton.


(Picture reference: The Open University, 2010)

The managerial grid is a way of rating the performance of a leaders concern for results and concern for people on a scale of 1 to 9. (With 1 being the lowest level of concern and 9 being the highest.)
A high concern for people is a quality often seen in good leaders, while a high concern for results often indicates a more managerial approach. The best team leaders and managers will be able to score high in both (The Open University, 2010).

ABC Costume Hire is a small business specialising in the hire of fancy dress. When working for the company, I had two bosses who worked alternate days. One had higher concern for people, and therefore seemed to fill the leadership role. The other had a higher concern for results, and therefore acted more as the manager of the business. Together they were able to create a great work ethic of team management, with a high concern for both people and results. This encouraged me to work efficiently on my own, without feeling pressured, as the environment was friendly and relaxed.


Leaders from History


I would like to begin with ex-prime minister Winston Churchill. Sir Winston Churchill led the UK during World War II. He was a successful leader because he was able to motivate the nation into wanting to serve their country. He helped others to visualise a world post war, so that they believed in the light at the end of the tunnel (Leadership Expert, 2010).

In contrast, of the same era we have Adolf Hitler, the notorious leader of the Nazi Party. Hitler was the Chancellor of Germany from 1933 to 1945. Hitler used propaganda and bold speeches to gain support by promoting nationalism, anti-Semitism and anti-communism. His party executed many of his opponents, enabling him to restructure the state economy, rearm the armed forces and establish a fascist dictatorship. His desire to get results through control and force made him a bad leader (Kellerman, 2004). This is because many followed him in fear, or due to lack of democracy. He is now remembered for the insensitive leadership approach the people of his country, and the countries he invaded.


To Conclude


I fell it is important for all managers to remember that group leadership is absolutely essential for any project. If the others in the group find they are being forced rather than persuaded, they may feel threatened and unhappy. Democracy within a group can prove to be worthwhile, as the members of the group feel more valued, as they also had a say in what they’re doing.


References:

Daft, R.L. (2008) The leadership experience. 4th ed. Mason: Thomson South-Western

Kellerman, B. (2004) Bad leadership: what it is, how it happens, why it matters. 1st ed. Boston: Harvard Business School Publishing

Kerzner, H. (2009) Project management: a systems approach to planning, scheduling, and controlling. 10th ed. New Jersey: John Wiley and Sons, inc.

Leadership Expert (2010) Some famous leaders [online]. Available from: http://www.leadershipexpert.co.uk/famous-leaders.html [Accessed 13th March 2010]

The Open University (2010) The dimensions of leadership styles [online]. Available from: http://openlearn.open.ac.uk/mod/resource/view.php?id=209237 [Accessed 13th March 2010]