Leadership versus Management Essay

The biggest difference between managers and leaders is the way they motivate people to follow them. Managers have a position within the organisation, their teams work for them to complete tasks and in turn manage situations as they occur. Leaders on the other hand do not have teams when they are leading. Instead, formal control is given up, as to lead is have followers and this is always a voluntary activity. Telling people what to do does not inspire

I have described leaders there attributes and responsibilities so taking this in mind can a leader make an effective manager? Referring back to a business educational website (businessballs) it states “good leadership always includes responsibility for managing. Lots of the managing duties may be delegated through others, but the leader is responsible for ensuring there is appropriate and effective management for the situation or group concerned.” As described earlier leaders can be found in all aspects of life and business for example a leader of a small business may also be the managing director, where they are also responsible for the task carried out primarily by managers, tasks include measuring and reporting performance, problem-solving and improving productivity and efficiency. Although the leader's main goal is to drive and lead the business forward the need to manage is within the capabilities.

As a Naval Officer I had the opportunity to experience both leadership and management. Today's Navy operates with fewer people and resources than before. Therefore, leadership and management are more important than ever. Very early in my career I was taught leadership and as I advanced through the ranks I experienced management.

Ability to manage is another way a leader manifests and influence it subordinates. A leader must be a person that possess the following characteristics.

Because we know it is easier for a leader to be a manager, a manager can also be a leader. They need to understand the different roles and skills when it comes to becoming both. Some organizations are only looking specifically for managers. While other organizations want a person who obtains both skills. Depending on the type of organization culture the company has senior management would base their decision on that. Looking at the current economic environment managers should know how to perform many different tasks to keep the employees motivated. With this type of environment both the skills of a manager and a leader is required. Actually, strong management and leadership skills are necessary to tackle these difficult economic times.

Quoted by Ronald Reagan “The greatest leader is not necessarily the one who does the greatest things. He is the one that gets the people to do the greatest things.” A manager gets things done via planning and delegation. Tasks are usually assigned and results are obtained by other efforts. A leader gets things done by holding a vision, modeling behaviors and usually have very inspiring actions. A manager is defined as, “An individual who is in charge of a certain group or tasks” (Business Dictionary). A leader is defined as “The person who leads or commands a group, organizations” (Business Dictionary).

Both managers and leaders are responsible in assisting and keeping the hospital or organization running and promoting the organization to continue into the future. Managers and leaders have different distinct roles, but the ones that are the most effective, are the ones that will combine the roles and functions into their workday everyday. There roles and responsibilities can be similar, but also can be different. A manager can be a leader, but a leader isn’t necessarily a manager (GCU, 2011).

Much has been written about the difference between management and leadership. In the past, competent management staffs ran effective companies. In light of our ever-changing world, however, most companies have come to realize that it is much more important to lead than to manage. In today's world the old ways of management no longer work. One reason is that the degree of environmental and competitive change we are experiencing is extreme. Although exciting, the world is also very unstable and confused. In an article entitled What’s the Difference between Your Hospital and the Other? Gary Campbell states that the difference between a manager and a leader is that the manager “finds himself quite willing to

There is a difference between leadership and management, although they are similar in some ways. While, they both want to achieve common goals, influence people, and work with people, they are different. Managers aim to create consistency and

Leadership vs. Management, are they the same? No!. “A leader focus on setting goals and direction, challenging the norm, and seeking new ways of working towards the goals. On the other side, Managers specialize on conformance to the standards. They manage teams and individuals, organizing, directing and controlling to achieve goals” (EBA, 2016).

The Oxford English Dictionary describes the word leader as a “person who leads or commands a group, organization, or country” and describes the word manager as a “person responsible for controlling or administering all or part of company or similar organization”. Each of these meanings are very close in proximity however many in the business world have different definitions for each of these roles. Although they are different they are linked and are complementary to each other (Oxford Dictionary (American English)).

Leadership and management are similar; however, have different definitions. Some leaders have an innate ability to learn whereas others may have to learn how to lead. A manager may not be an effective leader. A leader must possess certain characteristics to be effective. Communication, fairness, and leadership knowledge are the top three characteristics of an effective leader.

Management in my mind and as the book reinforces the definition to be, to plan, to organize, to staff for the process, and to control the process to the end. These are consider the primary functions of the management role (p.8).

The difference between managers and leaders is that leaders have visions, strategies, and influences on people, while managers are more focused on implementing these elements (Robbins et al, 2012).

Leadership is just one of the many assets a successful manager must possess. Care must be taken in distinguishing between the two concepts. The main aim of a manager is to maximize the output of the organization through administrative implementation.