Management and Leadership

Management and Leadership

The difference between management and leadership has been reviewed and debated for many years. Although similar the two have very distinct purposes and several types of approaches. Managers may lack leadership qualities and some leaders may not be able to manage correctly.

The Webster definition of management states: the act or art of managing : the conducting or supervising of something (as a business) (http://www.m-w.com/cgi-bin/dictionary?book=Dictionary&va=management&x=11&y=17). This statement is very broad and lacks a real sense of what managers actually do. To accurately describe management I believe the scope would have to be narrowed down to a specific type of business. For example a manager of a logging company may have completely different duties and responsibilities from a manger of a sales department.

In general terms the management is responsible for the decision making process from within the company. Managers are good decision makers capable of reviewing the information at hand and deciding which areas are priority. Another responsibility of the managers is to acquire the right resources for completing the task at hand. The distinction from manager to supervisor is one that can create some controversy among co-workers if not fully understood. A manager should not get directly involved with the work at hand but stay neutral and observe the actions that are taking place. Some co-workers may think that this is type of behavior is lazy or that the manager is not a team player but it is exactly what the manager should be doing. In fact, if the work load is so great that the manager has to get involved then the resources available may not be adequate. The ability and responsibility then relies on the manager to get the resources. Some companies encourage the managers to spend their time visiting and observing the business at hand without getting directly involved. "Early in the company's history the two founders endorsed formal management procedures, being one of the first corporations to use the "management by objective" approach. They also created an informal workplace, encouraging the use of first names among employees, even for themselves. Packard and Hewlett were also known for "management by walking around and visiting" (http://www.britannica.com/eb/article-92974)

Leadership can also be defined several ways. The Webster definition is vague and very broad once again: "the office or position of a leader: capacity to lead: the act or an instance of leading." (http://www.m-w.com/cgi-bin/dictionary?book=Dictionary&va=leadership&x=13&y=10)

Leadership traits can be intangible and hard to validate because of their nature and because people may place different values on each. An example of a leadership trait is integrity. Situations may come and go and a leader's integrity may be put to the test but only long term actions can really build this type of trait. Another trait is being respectful; many people may judge a person's character in a few moments giving respect to another person ranks very high in leadership abilities. Leadership roles are usually earned through a persons actions in the past. The ability to persuade people to perform to their highest potential and towards a common goal is my definition of a leader. The difference in leadership traits and importance makes the role of leader very difficult. If a person is not well rounded in skills or traits he or she may not be viewed as a leader by all parties involved. Also a leader's credibility can be erased by one bad decision or action.

All types of leaders are responsible for creating and maintaining a healthy organizational culture. The responsibility requires a constant awareness of the surroundings and the people involved with the cause. Setting an example for others to follow can steer an organization in the right direction. Maintaining a healthy organization can be achieved by flexibility and the ability to conform to outside influences. Managing and leading an organization may require the ability to change and adapt as conditions and customers change. An example of outside influences in the farm industry is land conservation. "The management of prairies includes the simulation of the natural mechanisms