Overview
In the current business world, most entrepreneurs assume that management describes everything that must be done to keep things right in the organization. If every organization aims at realizing its goals, it needs to ensure that its management is successful. Leadership and management are two different roles that are based on how each is conducted. Just because someone is a manager does not make that person a leader. Managers are in their positions by the rank, and they use their authority to get things done. However, managers are currently expected to display high levels of leadership skills even as they do their managerial work. In addition to the practical business skills that managers acquire through training and experience, they must also display a set of specific leadership attributes if they are to be successful in their managerial jobs ( Donate & de Pablo, 2015 ). Applying leadership elements is essential for driving the organization success and elevating the employees' morale so that the work towards the success of the organization.
While a leader is different from a manager, the area of focus for the researchers has been on the role that elements of leadership play in ensuring that managers have successful management. Currently, managers are also training to become effective leaders in addition to their managerial skills. While some leadership skills and abilities are inborn, studies have shown that training and experience can shape most individuals into good leaders. The nature of complexity that is emerging in the organizations has necessitated the need for managers not only to use their business knowledge but also to seek leadership skills if they are to deal with the employees who have since become so complicated. Many studies have been done on the importance of successful leadership elements in the realization of the organization goals by the leaders. However, the focus is shifting to the managers who are currently seeking to use leadership elements in their management jobs. The research below answers the question of how the use of leadership elements by the managers can be crucial for successful management.
Delegate your assignment to our experts and they will do the rest.
There have been many researches done on the areas related to leadership and management. In the steps to solve the research question, there has been an analysis of the many kinds of literature written by several researchers in the field of leadership and management. For any organization to grow and realize its objectives, the type of leadership that is offered by the top management is the key. Managers must master the necessary skills in management and leadership that will be essential in helping avoid crisis situations whenever it arises ( Higgs & Dulewicz, 2016 ). As a manager, one must be well polished with specific managerial skills such as problem-solving and decision making, meeting management, delegation, and communication. These are the skills that managers are trained to make them carry out their managerial roles effectively. However, leadership and management cannot be separated if a manager is to be effective in his administrative duties. Other than the primary business and managerial skills, managers deal with a variety of people which they must develop and apply leadership models to ensure they are successful.
Key Management Principle
The management principles are usually based on the fundamental truth and act as guidelines for the decision-making and the actions of the managers. The management principle that is at the core of this research question is the authority and responsibility. For the organization to have things done right, the management must have the authority to direct and influence the employees on what to do and how to do things. According to Henri Fayol, the managers must have the power and authority to direct on the successful accomplishment of every task within the organization. The author assumes that authority comes with a responsibility of the managers to act in a way that makes the employees see them as leaders who possess power ( Chiu, Balkundi & Weinberg, 2017 ). Unless the manager can have the authority to control the employees, he will be unable to influence them to do things as expected. The responsibility of the manager is dependent on the performance of the leader, which is usually judged by that of the employees. If the employees underperform, it is seen to be the responsibility of the manager. Mone and London (2018) define authority as the power to give orders and get these orders to be obeyed by the people. Accountability, on the other hand, is a situation in which one gets accountable and answerable for any task that was under his charge.
Other than handling other business activities, managers also deal with managing people. To effectively manage the employees, they must adhere to some fundamental principles of management which have been identified by researchers as essential to managing employees. The first principle is to effectively listen to the employees and provide a response with empathy in a manner that will motivate the people. People love to know that their superiors hear them and that they consider their contribution in decision making. Accommodating people in the planning processes is an essential principle to increase the chance of successful accomplishment significantly. People are sophisticated in both their needs and expectations and unless the managers develop a multidimensional approach to handling them, there can always be frictions which at the end will hinder the success of the organization ( DuBois et al., 2015 ).
Research Findings
Research has shown the significance of using elements of leadership by the managers in ensuring that they are successful in their management roles. There is sufficient evidence from the literature reviews and other many studies that using leadership elements in management can increase the chances of success of the organization. Other than just having administrative skills and knowledge, managers must apply the qualities of a good leader in their managerial roles is they are to increase their chances of success. Managers have to be leaders as well, since they deal with people, and they must display qualities of a leader by being influential and inspirational in a way that will enhance the output of the workers and minimize internal friction ( Bolden, 2016 ). The managers must, take their time and learn what it takes to be an active leader and then apply it in their managerial roles. Therefore, they will be making themselves people who are not only managers but also leaders. Unlike businesses in the previous days where the role of managers was to purely ensure adherence to the policies of the organization and obedience of the rules, the current organizations have seen a change in the responsibilities of the managers.
Effective communication skills are one of the critical elements of leadership that managers can adopt to increase their chances of success in their roles. Great leaders actively listen to the followers and respond to them in a way that will promote understanding amongst the employees. If employees are having difficulty in understanding what the manager is saying then effective communication is lacking and this can lead to errors and confusion in the workplace. A competent manager, who possesses excellent communication skills, has the ability to handle every situation at hand ( Bolden, 2016 ). The employees must understand what the manager is communicating because this is the only way they will be able to act on it correctly. Effective communication skills as an element of leadership can be crucial in successful management in the sense that it increases the manager’s ability to be understood by the employees so that things will be done in the right manner. The demonstration of proficiency in a range of communication styles is a valued soft skill for the managers in helping them increase their managerial success. The use of effective communication as a leadership skill is therefore crucial for successful management because it allows managers to pass the right information to the employees thus promoting understanding and increasing the performance of the employees.
Evidence from previous researchers has also shown that being inspirational is a leadership element and that great leaders lead by inspiring followers so that they get motivated and see sense in the mission of the organization. When managers are inspirational, they display the ability to empower the team members and help them strive towards the excellence which can be the key driver to the success of the organization. Great leaders tap workers; inspire them with the desire to make them different by positively impacting their lives ( Mone & London, 2018 ). The developed leadership skill can be useful in helping employees get motivated and see value in themselves and the vision of the organization. Inspirational managers not only exert their power and authority on the employees, but they use encouragement and motivational words to help employees grow and develop while they see sense in need to support the organization realize its mission. At the time when people face different challenges, it is only managers who encourage employees who can succeed in exerting influence on them so that they can work towards the success of the organization. An employee who has been inspired and motivated by the manager is more likely to work hard towards the success of the organization. Motivation makes employees grow both personally and professionally thus making them encouraged to value the vision of the manager. As a result, the employees will achieve the mission that managers want them to and this will be successful management for the manager.
The use of leadership elements in management is useful in promoting effective decision making which is an essential element of leadership skill. Although managers can always delegate tasks to keep some projects on track, an effective manager understands that outsourcing some managerial decisions to employees can be hard. A manager who uses leadership skills in the management will have good decision-making abilities and will be able to make the right decisions in certain complex situations ( Mone& London, 2018 ). The manager’s leadership qualities of being creative, confident and intuitive are useful in this area as they promote effective decision making. Other than just being knowledgeable about business activities, a manager has to be creative and intuitive so that they can make the right decision that sets a new direction.
The success of any manager depends on the decision making abilities of that manager. Managers who are creative and intuitive while at the same time displaying confidence in their job are more likely to make the right decisions which can steer the organization forward. Robust decision making gives clarity and focus to the employees and eliminates any uncertainty that could lead to projects going out of track ( Bolman & Deal, 2017 ). The possession of the leadership qualities to make the right and informed decisions through creativity and confidence is, therefore, the foundation for successful management. While managers demonstrate their vast knowledge in the business skills, they must also apply specific leadership skills that will make them be not only good managers but also excellent leaders. Hence, a combination of both managerial and leadership skills can always results in greater success for the organization.
Using leadership elements in the management can also help in facilitating and building of a strong team of members who are ready and dedicated towards the vision of the organization. Great leaders have the most outstanding team building skills which when managers adopt in their administrative roles can help them realize success. When using leadership skills in their managerial roles, managers must understand that they cannot do it alone and that they have the best talents to enhance their opportunity of being successful. They thus need to build a strong team of people with a set of skills and experience that will help foster the organization towards success. They must understand that the team performs better when the members have a variety of skills, personalities, and styles. Working together as a group can enhance the successful completion of the tasks of the managers thus increasing their chances of success. A good leader is usually a team builder, facilitator, able to bring in healthy discussion and reach a consensus ( Dumitru, Motoi & Budică, 2015 ). They understand that if a team trusts in and is committed to a plan, the chances of success are immensely high, because their ability to succeed as managers in their roles will gradually increase.
The use of honesty and integrity as a leadership element can help the managers create an environment that is full of trust and loyalty thus promoting the success of the organizational goals. Great leaders develop a corporate culture that is dependent on the values of honesty and integrity. If managers use these leadership skills in their managerial roles, they can create an organization full of trust, loyalty, and accountability thus promoting success. Developing a culture based on these two leadership values starts at the top management because all other employees observe and take actions from the senior leadership as what is acceptable behavior ( Solomon, Costea & Nita, 2016 ). The managers must, therefore, display trustworthiness and transparency in their activities if they are to win the trust and loyalty of the employees. Best leaders recognize the ways of telling the truth by themselves adopting high ethical standards in their conduct . The managers can be at high chances of increasing their influence on the employees to work towards meeting the goals of the organization, by showing trust and honesty to the subordinates thus fostering success.
Leading by example is the core of effective leadership and the best method to increase influence on the employees. Managers demonstrate to the employees that they have the best interest of the company through commitment, by using leadership elements in their managerial duties. They not only lead by examples but their subordinates can learn from them since they are act as their role models. In an organization where the manager has instilled a culture of honesty, integrity, and accountability, employees tend to be committed to their word and are ready to work hard to meet the organizational goals. As a result, the realization of the goals of the organization which is the strategic success of any manager will be enabled.
Conclusion
The success of any manager depends on the ability to use and apply essential elements of leadership in the managerial duties. Despite possessing great administrative and business skills, managers also need to develop the qualities of effective leaders in their abilities to increase their chances of success. Leadership skills help the managers on how to handle employees who have since become complex. Team building, integrity, and honesty, effective communication skills, inspirational and excellent decision making are some of the leadership skills that can be adopted by the managers to increase the opportunities for success. These can provide a broader scope for the managers to lead effectively and realize the goals of the organization. The use of leadership elements is therefore crucial for successful management because it offers the opportunity for team building, effective communication and better decision making which are critical elements for achieving leadership goals.
References
Bolden, R. (2016). Leadership, Management and Organizational Development. In Gower Handbook of Leadership and Management Development (pp. 143-158). Routledge.
Bolman, L. G., & Deal, T. E. (2017). Reframing Organizations: Artistry, Choice, and Leadership .John Wiley & Sons.
Chiu, C. Y. C., Balkundi, P., & Weinberg, F. J. (2017).When Managers Become Leaders: The Role of Manager Network Centralities, Social Power, and Followers' Perception of Leadership. The Leadership Quarterly , 28 (2), 334-348.
Donate, M. J., & de Pablo, J. D. S. (2015). The Role of Knowledge-oriented Leadership in Knowledge Management Practices and Innovation. Journal of Business Research , 68 (2), 360-370.
DuBois, M., Koch, J., Hanlon, J., Nyatuga, B., & Kerr, N. (2015). Leadership Styles of Effective Project Managers: Techniques and Traits to Lead High Performance Teams. Journal of Economic Development, Management, IT, Finance & Marketing , 7 (1).
Dumitru, A., Motoi, A. G., &Budică, A. B. (2015). What kind of leader is a manager?. Annals of the University of Craiova for Journalism, Communication and Management , 1 (1), 50-60.
Higgs, M., &Dulewicz, V. (2016).Developments in Leadership Thinking. In Leading with Emotional Intelligence (pp. 75-103). Palgrave Macmillan, Cham.
Mone, E. M., & London, M. (2018). Employee Engagement through Effective Performance Management: A Practical Guide for Managers . Routledge.
Solomon, I. G., Costea, C., & Nita, A. M. (2016).Leadership versus management in public organizations. Economics, Management and Financial Markets , 11 (1), 143.
