Management and leadership are two concepts that have been used interchangeably, but in the real sense, they refer to two different concepts. One major assumption made is that managers are leaders. However, this not necessarily correct because some managers lack the required leadership capabilities. Management and leadership entail a host of unique functions and activities. The primary similarity between leaders and managers stem from their ability to influence others by using their powers. However, they apply different approaches to success, solve problems differently, and engage in different functions in the organization. The success of the modern-day strongly relies on the presence of a quality leader and a quality manager. The discussion will revolve around comparing the role of leaders and managers in the organization, including the content of the personality traits. Whereas managers are system-oriented and focus on the smooth running of an organization, leaders emphasize on influencing and empowering people to positively change the organization.
Both leaders and managers have fundamental roles to play in the organization. In completing their functionalities, leaders begin by developing a vision which they communicate to other team members. They then focus on the development of appropriate strategies that could realize the identified vision. Wajdi (2017) asserts that leaders then embark on the motivation of the people, negotiation of resources, and seeking support to achieve the goals. However, managers, on the other side, focus on the well-organization of the available resources in a bid to produce the best outcome. They have a duty to ensure that they use both the human and the non-human resources for the overall benefit of the company. Wajdi (2017) summarizes the differences by asserting that not all managers are leaders. Similarly, not all leaders are managers because one does not require a managerial position to impact others through leadership.
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In further exploring the role of the managers, Algahtani, (2014) says, “Managers focus on formal directing and controlling of their assistants, resources, structures, and systems” (p. 74). The goal of the managers is to attain short-term goals. They tend to avoid risks and establish stringent measures of standardization in a bid to improve efficiency. The managers and the employees relate in a transactional style where the former sets the directions, and the latter is required to follow them. The success of any manager depends on three fundamental aspects, including technical, conceptual, and human. The technical skills refer to the level of proficiency that an individual demonstrates in their areas of work. The conceptual skills, on the other hand, assess the ability of the manager to turn ideas into meaningful aspects. Lastly, the human aspect of the manager is measured by how well they are able to work with the people.
Other than motivation, leaders also work by inspiring others. Unlike the manager, the leader focuses on creating visions and long-term goals. Also, they take risks to achieve collective goals. Algahtani (2014) states that the most crucial attribute associated with the leaders is their ability to challenge the status quo. Rather than the transactional style employed by the managers, the leaders instead focus on a transformational style. It is also crucial to appreciate specific ways in which leadership and management overlap in terms of their roles in the organization. Both involve working with people, creating a sense of influence, and working to fulfill the common goals. However, the primary difference is that in leadership, the nature of the influence is multidirectional while in management, it is unidirectional (Daft, 2018). Managers are primarily concerned with the systems and the structures that make an organization run. However, the fundamental concerns of the leaders are on shared goals, motivation, and communication.
Other than their roles in the organization, leaders and managers also differ in the basic aspects that determine their personality traits. According to Toor & Ofori (2008), the culture of management focuses on rationality and control. Therefore, managers must demonstrate their problem-solving skills. Most of their strength should be directed towards finding solutions to problems that touch on structures, resources, and the people. Compared to the leaders, managers are structured in their way of doing things. Their behavior can, therefore, be stabilizing and authoritative at the same time. The authors continue by stressing that the culture of a leader can be described as frank, open, communicative, and participative. Algahtani (2014) identifies certain characters associated with the leaders, including confidence, visionary, reliability, good listening skills, and responsibility, among others. On the other hand, the manager needs to demonstrate certain interpersonal skills such as organization, good communication, delegation, and negotiation (Daft, 2018).
In conclusion, whereas managers are system-oriented and focus on the smooth running of an organization, leaders emphasize on influencing and empowering people to positively change the organization. The managers and leaders can be looked through two different lenses, including their roles and personal traits. Managers are focused on the smooth running of the organization. They create short-term goals and act in a transactional style with the followers. On the other hand, leaders focus on inspiration and motivation. They build long-term goals in the organization and use the transformational style to inspire their followers into achieving them. Managers and leaders are also set apart by their personal traits. The managerial culture emphasizes the need to solve problems and depict skills such as organization, delegation, and good communication. Leaders, on the other hand, need to show interpersonal skills such as confidence, visionary, reliability, excellent listening skills, and responsibility, among others.
References
Algahtani, A. (2014). Are leadership and management different? A review. Journal of Management Policies and Practices, 2(3), 71-82.
Daft, L. (2018). The Leadership Experience 7 th Edition. Routledge
Toor, S. U. R., & Ofori, G. (2008). Leadership versus management: How they are different and why. Leadership and Management in Engineering, 8(2), 61-71.
Wajdi, B. N. (2017). The differences between management and leadership. Sinergi: Jurnal Ilmiah Ilmu Manajemen, 7(1).
