The difference between these leadership and management has been an intriguing topic for both many people within the academic ranks. Needless to say, there is a growing shift of focus from management to leadership owing to the need to promote sustainability in business organizations due to the increasing competitiveness and consequent dynamism.
In terms of differences, leadership can be said to be involved in three major functions, i.e. controlling, staffing/organizing, and planning. Controlling involves making schemes for staff incentives, reviewing plans and outcomes as well as implementing corrective actions. Organizing involves deploying people, creating rules and regulations and defining structures. Planning on the other hand involves budgeting, establishing time frames and creating agendas.
On the other hand, leadership involves three different functions. These include establishing direction for the organization through establishment of commitment in the part of the staff and creating organizational culture. Leaders also align people through building teams. They also inspire and motivate people, most especially through empowering and energizing them, and also fulfilling unmet needs.
The two however overlap. Knowing that leadership involves thinking, looking and creating change in the organization and management being about bringing consistency and order in the organization, the two must co-exist. Without proper leadership, management becomes mere structural function with no clear end. At the same time, without effective management skills, leadership may not have discipline and co-ordinated orderliness to achieve the long term goals and vision for the organization.
As a nurse manager, there is strong need to marry the managerial responsibility with leadership skills. This is because the ability of the nurse manager to have leadership skills is to help her understand, reflect, and change the approach to management for the success of the hospital where she works as well as for the satisfaction of the employees.
References
Soili Vesterinen, S., Suhonen, M., Isola, A., Paasivaara, L., Laukkala, H.( 2013) Nurse
Managers' Perceptions Related to Their Leadership Styles, Knowledge, and Skills in These Areas—A Viewpoint: Case of Health Centre Wards in Finland, ISRN Nurs. 2013; 2013: 951456.
