Essay Example: Leadership versus Management

The concept of leadership is utilized mainly in various companies and institutions to ascertain an individuals capability to guide and achieve specific visions and goals that are set by an organization in order to attain success. Leadership is primarily considered in hierarchical areas that requires intense communication and professionalism. In most cases an individuals capability to lead can be genetic or driven by the type of environment. Alternatively, management is a concept that has been intertwined to imply the similar meaning as leadership (Carmichael, 2011). However, management entails the process of creating the visions, goals, strategies, executing them through a planning process, policies simulation, controlling their effects, and giving directions to achieve the ultimate goal set (Fairholm & Fairholm, 2009). In relation to the commonly confused notion of leadership and management as the same concept, this paper will criticize various views and management concepts that identify the different areas that are linked to management and leadership through giving specific examples and the implications of the examples.

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First the concept of management cannot be achieved without the incorporation of a leadership program. Leadership comes first in every situation that managemenrops up. For effective execution of managerial ideas, an individual has to be a good leader. It is however vital to note that, for a manager, professionalism and planning are crucial (Ghuman & Aswathappa, 2010). A manager has to have a financial understanding and setting up of policies that are to be used in order to achieve the visions that have been set. In fact, management skills are required from the onset of strategies specification in an organization or company. Through management skills, it is possible to draw on what is to be achieved first and the areas that are least important but have to be achieved. Thus, a good leader aids in ensuring that goals set are achievable through leadership skills (Ghuman & Aswathappa, 2010).

For example, once the strategies have been set by a manager, the financial concepts drawn, the planning of activities and execution period outlined, it is the duty of a leader to ensure that they are executed through guiding the rest of the team on how to go about every activity. A leader can also be part of the team that guides the management team on how to accomplish their task. For example, a leader will ensure that the team achieves the target strategies of a company and that planning and drawing of financial values and activities are completed during the required period. without leadership, management team and planning cannot take place as there will not be any individual to supervise and organize the process. Therefore, it is imperative to note that, leadership is critical in the process of any management activity.

Leadership requires that an individual has problem solving capabilities, motivational skills, time keepers, positivity, and team work ideas. Thus, a leader with the capacity to organize and control management situations attains success (Carmichael, 2011). Since leadership is required in every step of activity that a management team may go through, maintaining effective leadership skills is critical for a successful vision and goal execution.

Therefore, management and leadership go hand in hand. However, leadership has to be present in every step of management step. Leadership dominates most of the intertwined concepts of leadership and management. Conclusively, leadership is the ability to guide every step of activity while management entails setting up the activities and overseeing that the right procedure is given for every activity.

References

Carmichael, J. (2011). Leadership and management development. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Fairholm, M. R., & Fairholm, G. W. (2009). Understanding leadership perspectives: Theoretical and practical approaches. New York: Springer.

Ghuman, K., & Aswathappa, K. (2010). Management: Concept, practice and cases. New Delhi: Tata McGraw Hill.