preview

Leadership And The New Science

Decent Essays

Leadership vs Management Leadership and management are often referred to as the same thing. However, researchers are starting to change the way leadership is seen. The very root of the word leadership implies helping lead one on a journey, while management’s root suggests submission. With these pieces of information as lenses, it becomes easier to see the difference. In Margaret J. Wheatley’s book, Leadership and the New Science, she makes a simple statement: “Management’s task is to enforce control, to keep information contained, to pass it down in such a way that no newness occurs” (Wheatley, 2006, p. 97). This, along with much more of her and others’ wisdom, emphasizes the difference between leadership and management. Additionally, …show more content…

Management is positional. It is said that you can’t choose your boss but you choose your leader. Contrary to public belief, leaders aren’t always those in power. In tandem, those in power aren’t always utilizing leadership. While researchers have usually focused on those in power, the studies have failed to find the exact traits and behaviors needed for successful leaders. Therefore, leadership cannot be taught. However, leadership can be learned. Leadership boils down to people. A leader has followers. The leader motivates and empathizes based on what they know is important to an individual. Changing people to the better to change things for the better is the essence of leadership: walking the journey with the follower, instead of just giving directions (management).
While leadership seems to be the ideal, John Kotter says, “If you have to choose between leadership or management, choose management every time. Managers do.” While this is true, it is most applicable to measurable outcomes. When organizations are viewed as machines, management succeeds. The Newtonian view of organizations indeed calls for management, as people are seen as things. This works perfectly in theoretical practice. However, when introduced to reality, it begins to fall apart. Even though people can be treated like things, it won’t allow for creativity and growth. Managers attempt motivation through competitions and pressure, which can lead to employees using their creativity to refuse to

Get Access