Research of Difference Between Leadership and Management

Introduction

In this essay I will discuss the following; leadership and management, advantages and disadvantages of leadership and management styles, the characteristics of a good leader and the differences between mentoring, coaching, project management and the learning organisation. I will also express my own opinion the leadership versus management debate.

Difference between leadership and management:

The major difference between leadership and management are as under:

• Leadership is a virtue of leading people by encouraging them. Management is a process of managing the activities of the organization.
• Leadership requires trust of followers on his leader. Unlike Management, which needs control of the manager over its subordinates.
• Leadership is a skill of influencing others while Management is the quality of the ruling.
• Leadership demands foresightedness of leader, but Management has a short-range vision.
• In leadership, principles and guidelines are established, whereas, in the case of management, policies and procedures are implemented.
• Leadership is Proactive. Conversely, management is reactive in nature.
• Leadership brings change. On the other hand, Management brings stability.

Advantages/Disadvantages of Different Leadership/Management Styles

Autocratic or Authoritarian

An Autocratic or authoritarian leadership style will comprise of dictates and orders like telling aides what is to be done and how is something supposed to be done. This form serves well when the time is at a premium, and the leader has all the information necessary to complete a task, and his workforce is well motivated. However, the authoritarian style is negative when the leader might profit or avail from the ideas of others. In fact, neglecting the information of intelligent and responsible subordinates can turn counterproductive in any situation.

Democratic or Participative

A democratic or participative leader approach for problem-solving ideas from his/her employees. He tends to involve his workforce in the overall decision-making process. A leader is an ultimate authority in all matters, however, his tendency to engage his workforce not only supplies the leader with ideas he might not have had but also instils in his/her workforce a sense of confidence, purpose and value. The participative leader is also bestowed with love and respect from his subordinates because he/she has the strength to be collaborative instead of being insular and controlling. However, this leadership style is not appropriate, when the time is short, and the problem needs to be solved at once.

Laissez-faire or Delegative

The laissez-faire or delegative leader leaves the task along with the means of accomplishing the task entirely upon his workers. Though the leaders remain responsible for the completion of the task, however, the decision making and problem-solving is delegated to subordinates. This leadership style heavily depends on a well-motivated and skilled workforce that knows how to get the things done. This form is based on the concept that a leader is not capable of doing everything and thus he/she must sometimes delegate duties. But this style is not suitable when the workforce is inexperienced or unskilled and when the leader has all the required information, and the task must be accomplished immediately.

So, in the real world of business, leaders must meet diverse circumstances with the suitable leadership style and approach. A style may not be the most convenient. However, a good leader must be capable of switching styles, depending on the need and situation.

Trust is the major factor that often dictates which style is appropriate. The level of trust shared by employees and their supervisor, stress levels in the manager/supervisor and subordinates, level of employee discipline and level of mutual trust and respect between the manager and his employees plays a crucial role in dictating the style of leadership to be adopted by the managers/leaders.

Characteristics of a Good Leader

The best qualities of good leaders are:

• Vision
• Courage
• Integrity
• Humility
• Strategic planning
• Focus
• Cooperation

What Makes a Good Leader Great?

Great leaders find the balance between business foresight, performance, and character. They have vision, courage, integrity, humility and focus along with the ability to plan strategically and catalyse cooperation amongst their team.

How is a Coach Different from a Mentor?

While mentors may use the same skills and tools in their approach to mentoring, the relationship between a mentor and 'mentee' is different to that which will develop in a coaching relationship. ... A coach will assist, challenge and encourage rather than direct, advise or teach.

My Opinion on the Leadership Versus Management Debate

During my research I have realised that’s there are many different methods of leading and management of workers. It will depend on the environment and setting surrounding the situation to decide which is the best option to use. This will make carefully plan to come up with the best method possible for whatever setting you are in.

Conclusion

In my opinion my believe there should be a healthy balance between management and leadership in the workplace as it will help the business greatly as it will help with the general flow of the whole workplace. Without good management the leadership will also become displaced as there is no balance between the two. This is why I believe in my opinion that the two should come in hand in hand when talking about Team leadership.

References

1. https://medium.com/@phrenimosindia/three-leadership-styles-advantages-and-disadvantages-b15866d9548
2. https://keydifferences.com/difference-between-leadership-and-management.html
3. https://www.briantracy.com/blog/leadership-success/the-seven-leadership-qualities-of-great-leaders-strategic-planning/
4. https://www.apm.org.uk/blog/coaching-vs-mentoring-why-the-difference-matters/
5. https://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=https%3A%2F%2Fmiro.medium.com%2Fmax%2F446%2F1*2Yapdod6TC6bgvVNSiHdMQ.jpeg&imgrefurl=https%3A%2F%2Fmedium.com%2Fdreamcatcher-its-blog%2F8-tips-for-new-team-leaders-255961eac288&docid=gz7J323_NaYTuM&tbnid=HfYPB5MqRe7FNM%3A&vet=10ahUKEwju0If4q4rlAhXMX8AKHc5_BAoQMwh3KAAwAA..i&w=744&h=400&bih=913&biw=1280&q=team%20leadership&ved=0ahUKEwju0If4q4rlAhXMX8AKHc5_BAoQMwh3KAAwAA&iact=mrc&uact=8