Leadership And Management : What Characteristics And Functions Are Required For Each?

Leadership is, and always has been, a vital aspect of social and economic constructs. It is essential to the survival of societies, industries, organizations, and virtually any group of individuals that come together for a common purpose. However, leadership is difficult to define in a single, definitive sense. As such, theories of leadership, what constitutes a great leader, and how leaders are made have evolved constantly throughout history, and still continue to change today in hopes of improving upon our understanding of leadership, its importance, and how it can be most effective in modern organizational cultures.

Leadership is a term that cannot be defined or simplified with a standard definition (Bethel, 2011). The term’s complexity is a phenomenon, as it carries a different meaning for each person. During the

Leadership has been described as the “process of social influence in which one person can enlist the aid and support of others in the accomplishment of a common task”...

The principal aspects of leadership are oft debated; to attempt to define what leadership is would most certainly result in broad and varied definitions dependent on who is queried. Nonetheless, in the preeminent

Leadership has a variety of meanings to different individuals, often based upon the circumstance and situation which defines the term leader or leadership. Northouse (2016) defines leadership as, “a process by which an individual influences a group of individuals to achieve a common goal.” (p. 6). Sammi Caramella writes, “Leadership is critical to every company. Workers need someone to look to, learn from and thrive with. Every leader has their own style and strategy. Further, leadership styles and methods vary because of outside influences and personal challenges. While leadership is unique to everyone, there are some common ways to define the term.” (2017). According to Peter Economy (2018), also known as "The

Leadership is a process of influencing activities of a particular group of people with the aim of attaining certain stipulated goals. In defining leadership there is need to consider a particular group, the common goals and the duties that are allocated to specific members of the group depending on their abilities (Fiedler 1976). Leadership therefore cannot successfully occur unless members of the group are given different considerations in terms of personality, traits and responsibilities. In considering leadership, it is important to look at the leader, the group or organization they are leading, the members as individuals and the situation; these are

Leadership is and has been described as the “process of social influence in which one person can enlist the aid and support of others in the accomplishment of a common task”[1]. A definition more

Within the organizational structure of most businesses you will likely find management and leadership coexisting. Commonly, the words are often substituted for on another. However, each word has a distinctly different definition. A manager does not necessarily make a good manager. Management is defined as those individuals in an organization that have the authority and the responsibility to manage the organization through the control of production processes and ensuring that they operate efficiently and effectively. Leadership is defined as the skills and ability to set future goals in accordance with the organizational goals and to communicate those goals to other employees in such a way that they

Management is not leadership just as leadership is not management. In order to differentiate between the two we must ask ourselves which we relate to more, or rather, which we consider ourselves to be by asking the question which am I? Am I a Manager or can I consider myself a Leader? What type of person makes a good manager? What type of personality is best for leaders?

Leadership can be thought of in an infinite amount of ways, and can be described in just as many. According to Leadership for Recreation, Parks, and Leisure Services, written by Christopher R. Egdinton, Susan D. Hudson, Kathleen G. Scholl, and Lara Lauzon, leadership in recreation, parks, and leisure services can take on a variety of definitions, but most include some version of a person who influences another person or group to achieve a certain goal or objective (2011). In his article, “Leadership Versus Management: What’s the Difference?,” author James Kotterman provides a table that compares the actions of management and leadership, describing leadership actions as so: “displays very passionate attitude about the vision and goals, influences creation of coalitions, teams, and partnerships that understand and accept the vision, motivates and inspires, and

Managing and being a leader share similar traits, but each of these titles differ in terms of long term efficiency. Leading is one of the four management functions, along with planning, organizing, and controlling. For a manager to reach success, leadership is a critical factor a manager must implement daily. There are two views regarding how a manager enacts leadership. One view, the direct responsibility for an organizations success or failure links directly to the manager, or the organizations success or failure is due to external forces outside the managers control. These two categories of leadership are the guidelines that depict how a manager handles obstacles on a daily basis. Managers implement a leadership style and in doing shape themselves into the type of manager others perceive them to be. Comparing and contrasting these two leadership styles from the film 12’O Clock High, regarding General Savage and Colonel Davenport, and an article on Hurricane Katrina, regarding General Honore and Mr. Brown, we see which type of leadership is more effective, efficient, productive and in the long term reaches success.

Leadership has many relational and scientific concepts that must be explore. Even through accurate study and behavioral modifications, leadership practices are still developed through experience and trial and error. The practice of leadership develops one’s skills. Leadership is a progression. Though positions may grant authority and power, the ability to effectively

There are certain essential elements that constitute the definition of leadership. It may refer to the totality of an organization’s top direction-giving functionaries, or the actions applied in providing direction that enables the organization or team to move forward towards a goal. In reality, there are very diverse definitions of leadership depending on

Warren Bennis (1997) wrote in Learning to Lead: A Workbook on Becoming a Leader that “There is a profound difference between management and leadership, and both are important. To manage means to bring about, to accomplish, to have charge of or responsibility for, to conduct. Leading is influencing, guiding in a direction, course, action, opinion. The distinction is crucial.” (Leiding, 2004, p.11) However, it is difficult to draw a clear distinction between leadership and management and create an ultimate formula because they perform simultaneously in an organisation, and the organisation is complex. Sometimes, it is easy to mix the use of leadership and management when the roles interrelate. Therefore, it is crucial to understand the role of each concept and how it can be effective when combined and how it can be ineffective when missing one or another. Both ideas have been researched widely, however, to date there is no single definition that portrays the whole picture of each. Nonetheless, what is known is organisations need outstanding management as well as great leadership to make the complex organisation sustainable and successful. Thus, in this essay, I will discuss each concept separately, and compare and contrast the processes of leadership and management through scholar’s definitions.

Over the years, a great deal of time, and research has been dedicate to the study of leadership. Even with extensive data on the topic, many still disagree on what leadership really means. Hence, leadership is a word that has many different meanings and different researched theories associated with it. On a basic level, leadership involves having and establishing a clear vision, sharing that vision with followers, respecting followers, and leading an organization with excellence while ensuring that everyone is part of the team. Leadership is also a method by which a leader uses his or her influence towards getting a group of followers to take ownership or buy into a vision.