Management and Leadership

Running head: Management and Leadership

If one were asked to explain the differences in management and leadership one could go to dictionary to look the two terms up. The person may find that management means to judiciously use a means to accomplish a result, and that leadership means to have the capacity to go ahead of or provide direction. This is a simplistic view and truly does not go into depth as to the differences between management and leadership. So what is the true meaning and differences between management and leadership?

A management course may teach that leading is a function of management. What is not readily apparent is that managing is a function of leading. One may take this to mean that, while managers are expected to have excellent leadership skills, leaders are expected to have excellent management skills. One goes hand-in-hand with the other.

Warren Bennis is a well-known lecturer, writer, and theorist on management and leadership with a PhD in business administration. With an impressive career teaching the principals of business, management, and leadership spanning no less than 35 years many consider him a leading authority on the subject. He has been quoted as saying:

• Managers are people who do things right; leaders are people who do the right thing.

• The manager asks how and when; the leader asks what and why.

• Good leaders make people feel they are at the heart of things, not at the periphery. Everyone feels he or she makes a difference to the success of the organization. When this happens, people feel centered, and that gives their work meaning.

These are just a few of the principals that Bennis teaches on the concepts of management and leadership (Wikipedia, 2006).

Professor Bennis provides other additional insight into the differences between managers and leaders by saying such things as:

• The focus of managers is on systems, while the focus of leaders is upon people.

• Managers maintain, while leaders develop.

• Managers rely upon control, while leaders inspire trust.

• Managers focus upon the short-term, leaders focus upon the long-term.

• Managers focus upon the bottom line, leaders focus upon the horizon.

• Managers imitate, leaders originate.

• Managers copy, leaders create. (Wikipedia, 2006)

Professor Bennis made some excellent observations on the differences between managers and leaders. One key concept he strives to get the reader to understand is that managers tend to focus upon the mechanics of the system, leaders tend to focus upon the humanistic ideals. A leader understands that to complete tasks and obtain goals one must have the support and selflessness of others. To create this arena of support a good leader would see his or her employees not as mere assets at one’s disposal or simply tools to use but more as… people.

In several of my papers for my current class I mention my former employment at Branson USA Amusement Park. In these I speak of Cully W. the owner and CEO, and Wayne L. the General Manager. The management styles of these two individuals were as different as night from day. Wayne understood the value of being a leader, while Cully was a manager. Cully treated people as tools or interchangeable items at his disposal in order to accomplish a task or reach a goal. He was a micro-manager and very weak on leadership qualities.

Wayne saw people as people, not machinery or tools. He knew he was dealing with a group of individuals, each with his or her own personality, faults, strengths etc. Wayne had a way of getting the best out of an individual. He could inspire a person to reach beyond his or her limitations and do the impossible. People liked working for Wayne but they would cringe at the sight of Cully entering their work