Leadership and Management Analysis
"You can be an excellent manager without becoming a good leader; but you cannot be an excellent leader without becoming a good manager" (Chapman & O'Neil, 2000). For the most part, this statement is not true. Good management skills require strong leadership qualities. On the other hand, an individual can become a strong leader without becoming a good manager because some move into leadership roles without assuming management positions. However, in order to survive, such leaders must consider learning how to set priorities, delegate, and manage time, among other things concurrently as they incorporate leadership skills into their style (Murray, 2010). On the other hand, a good manager requires good leadership skills as they move to top management positions.
Just the same way there are managers with limited leadership ability; there are good leaders who are weak managers. Some people are good at leadership such that their lack of management skills goes unnoticed (Chapman & O’Neil, 2000). Some situations may require limited management function, especially if a person has strong leadership abilities that make others assume the management function. However, lack of managerial skills in a leader may make him vulnerable. Lack of organization skills will undermine the authority of the leader and may contribute to his or her fall. Even though, subordinates may value an individual’s leadership qualities, they will always prefer working or participating in an organized environment. Successful leaders who lack adequate management skills should consider protecting themselves by developing their skills. On the other hand, successful managers who consider becoming more than administrators should join leadership training programs that may be available. Both leadership and managerial skills complements each other. As such, excellent managers should consider developing their leadership skills the same way successful leaders need managerial skills.
It is wrong to argue that one can be an excellent manager without becoming a good leader. According to (Chapman & O’Neil, 2000), most people who move into senior management pass through the transition process from primarily management roles into primarily leadership roles. This means that as individuals rise through different managerial positions, they must hone their leadership skills in order to accelerate the process. For example, most successful CEOs in big companies are more leaders than managers. On the other hand, an individual may succeed in leadership without becoming a good manager. A leader has the ability to delegate managerial functions to others provided the firm achieves efficiency. Leaders acknowledge the importance of ensuring a smooth operation behind them. According to (Zakaria, Wan & Raja,2012), “some of the most successful leaders in all environments “manage” to become 75 percent leaders and 25 percent managers”. This implies that the managerial role required in a leader is minimal and can be delegated at will.
Excellent manager contributes to the success of an organization by using their 'positional power’ to supervise, direct and manage the resources of an organization. On the other hand, leadership assumes a more complex role – they influence and inspire people in order to achieve organizational vision. By definition, a manager is a person responsible for managing or controlling resources and expenditures of a company. A leader is someone who inspires or guides people, a person who makes decisions that others choose to follow or obey (Chapman & O’Neil, 2000). The distinctive feature between the two is that a manager helps a company achieves its objectives through efforts and actions of their subordinates. This implies that managers belong to a formal organizational structure and power tied to their positions. Successful managers contribute to organizational success by ensuring that subordinates meet the department’s business objectives.
Conversely, leaders apply the same practices as good managers, but the differentiating factor is their caring attitude. Leaders listen to the voices of their followers and they spend their time to discover the underlying issues. Leaders motivate and help employees solve their problems by ensuring an environment where people feel accepted. In addition, leaders demonstrate their commitment in both deeds and words because it takes time before people can believe and trust their leaders. Good leadership skills require people who want to achieve the very best rather than just meeting the set objectives. With these qualities, it is evident that an individual can become an excellent leader without becoming a good manger. Leadership requires someone with the ability to influence followers toward achieving some objectives while manager delegates duties to other people to meet organizational goals (Martin, 2011). The existing differences between leadership traits and managerial traits imply that it is possible to be an excellent leader without becoming a good manager.
In conclusion, both management and leadership complement each other and it would be wrong to isolate them. Managers are able to increase their chances of climbing the managerial ladder if they devote more time to honing their leadership skills. Successful leaders who lack adequate management skills can improve their career and reduce their vulnerability through additional training in management. Even though, a person can become a successful leader without managerial skills, managerial skills increase the chances of successful leadership.
References:
Chapman, E., & O’Neil, S. L. (2000). Leadership: Essential steps every manager needs to know. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.
Martin, D. L. (2011). The emerging paradigm of 21st century leaders: A perspective on leading successful change through high engagement. Benedictine University). ProQuest Dissertations and Theses, Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/902623521?accountid=35812. (902623521).
Murray, A. (2010).The end of management: corporate bureaucracy is becoming obsolete. Why managers should act like venture capitalists. The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved from http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704476104575439723695579664.html/
Zakaria, S., Wan Y.W., & Raja M.R. (2012). Leadership challenges during change transformation process. International Journal of Interdisciplinary Social Sciences, 6(6), 223-232.
