Who's Got The Monkey

Studies on the subjects of leadership and management have the underlying difference between a leader and a manager as “managers maintain things and leaders change things.” Gill (2006:26) explains their difference as “Managers plan, allocate resources, administer and control whereas leaders innovate, communicate and motivate”

There is a great importance put on business leadership, this is directly due to how a business not only functions but in how fruitful the company can become. A great leader essentially can take a business plan that is weak yet turn it into a success, whereas a poor leader stands a higher chance of ruining the best of business plans. That is why it is essential to develop effective leadership throughout a companies entire management program at all levels. How does one develop or retain strong leadership? Companies must be focused on hiring strategies that encompass very specific parameters, building from within whilst creating a strong foundation for employee development and succession planning. Leadership is essential in any organization. The style and theory embraced determines whether the company will or will not achieve their goals. in all cases theory must be embraced, as a companies theory, style, and strategy is greatly dependent on the industry the company is in (Sadler, 2014). “The behavioral theory is one of the widely used theories of management. It suggests that leaders are made and not born. It gives room for training to install leadership traits in leaders at the expense of denying them a chance. There are various leadership styles embraced by companies (Cyert, & March, 2005).”  This paper takes a look at the management styles of two specific

“Rising through the Ranks,” written by Mike Wynn is one of the popular books on leadership, which explains the importance of leadership and the ways to become an efficient leader. Wynn describes the expectations of an organization from a leader. A leader should undertake certain tasks, such as “short-term, long-term, operational and administrative and ensure the completion of tasks through people” (Wynn, 2008). If a supervisor fails to employ a leadership stance, instead employs a management stance, there are higher chances of risk to lose the effort and loyalty of the people. Adopting a leadership style of supervision has more chances of success as the people always strive for their success as well as the success of their leader.

One of the many responsibilities of company leaders is to ensure that their organization is able to compete and excel in the global marketplace. One way organizations are reaching this goal is though a shift in organizational culture. According to Thompson (2014), a company 's culture can be defined as its personality or the way in which things are done. When an organization attempts to shift its culture from that of an individual contribution to a team environment, the transition must be thoughtfully considered and strategic steps should be taken to encourage the most positive results. Changing an organization 's culture does not occur overnight, and will take patience and focused attention from its leaders and workforce to engrain these new ways of doing things into the fabric of the company. Team culture can be fostered through assessing the workforce 's key skills, encouraging team development and teamwork, selecting and utilizing the right motivation, and creating a rewards program that drives a team to achieve the company 's goals.

Leadership at times can be a complex topic to delve into and may appear to be a simple and graspable concept for a certain few. Leadership skills are not simply acquired through position, seniority, pay scale, or the amount of titles an individual holds but is a characteristic acquired or is an innate trait for the fortunate few who possess it. Leadership can be misconstrued with management; a manager “manages” the daily operations of a company’s work while a leader envisions, influences, and empowers the individuals around them.

In addition, leadership itself can be described in various forms and through the highlight of different skill sets, but the one thing that all definitions have in common is that “leadership involves influencing the attitudes, beliefs, behaviours and feelings of other people” Spector’s work (as cited in Curtis, de Vries, & Sheerin, 2011, p.306). When the skill set of a leader is compared to that of a manager, true differences are noted. Some of these key differences are apparent even in the approach utilized to reach the desired goals. While a manager directs, a leader transforms, a manager sustains and a leader improves, a manager controls, a leader motivates, a manager’s focus is on short-term goals and a leader’s is long-term based, managers ask how and when, while

In Band of Brothers Episode 5, Crossroads, the audience is introduced in the first scene to Captain Winters running across an open field and coming to an embankment at the end of the field. On the other side of the embankment sits a German soldier scrounging for something on the ground. Winters squeezes the trigger and then the screen goes black. This scene as short as it is I believe is a very powerful way to start the entire episode. If one were to break this scene down there is several traces of leadership that can be found.

“At Southwest Airlines, although we have Manager titles, we prefer to use the word Leader because we want all our People to realize they have the potential to be a Leader” (Blanchard & Barrett, 2011). An individual can make a positive difference in anyone’s work regardless of the position they are in. “Anytime you seek to influence the thinking, behavior, or development of people in their personal or professional lives, you are taking on the role of a leader” (Blanchard & Barrett, 2011).

How come you 've worked hard all day but haven 't started the one task that was most important to you? As a manager, how come your daily work schedule often falls in a heap by mid-morning?

Many individuals within organizations make a distinction between leaders and managers, sometimes comparing managers unfavorably to leaders (Yukl, 2013). However, when defining what a leader is, many people struggle to provide a clear definition. Knowing how managerial activities and behavior are affected by the level of management as well as an understanding of the skills that are required at each managerial level can help consolidate the sometimes divergent perspective individuals have concerning leaders and managers. In addition, a review of leadership studies that have helped shape the modern viewpoint of leadership can assist in identifying some characteristics

In this book Ken Blanchard uses his writing abilities to present some helpful insights into the world of organizational management. This book is perfect for someone who feels overwhelmed with the problems created by other people, the book can change their life. The major lesson taught by the book is, “how to save time to do what you want & need to do.” By using the 4 rules of monkey management laid out in this book a manager can free themselves from doing everyone else’s job and ensure that every problem is handled by the proper person. These rules will also help managers become effective supervisors of time, energy and their own talent.

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.

In corporate America the term used to describe a person in a position of power is “Manager”. A leader can be a manager, but a manager is not necessarily a leader. Leaders motivate, challenge, and influence others to achieve goals. Great leaders have the necessary skills and attributes which allow them to connect with the team and organization. Being a leader is not the same as managing an organization. Leader’s posses the interpersonal skills needed to influence others to achieve a goal willingly. Leading is a major part of a manager’s job. Leaders do not need to be a manager to lead people, but managers must know how to lead as well as manage.

An effective leader influences their employees in a desired manner to achieve goals and objectives. Different leadership styles can affect an organization’s effectiveness and performance. The objective of this paper is to analyze the review of literature on various leadership styles over the past years and how effective and ineffective different leadership styles are in the workplace.

The main theme behind this literature is the ability of an individual to exercise their own abilities in a bid to attain their desired outcomes. Moreover, it illustrates that the individual plays a central role in determining the quality of leadership that he or she exhibits.