In a recent article for a local newspaper, I had 300 words to explain the key differentials between management and leadership, then also give a brief overview of the leadership process. So here it is:
Management and leadership are two key components to business and organisational success, however it is often the case that many people in these roles confuse or merge the different attributes of management and leadership. British business may be sleepwalking into a leadership crisis if we fail to distinguish between management skills and the qualities of leadership.
Management is the ability to achieve objectives with the resources available (human, material, financial and time). Management skills are essential for making decisions, organising and controlling activity. Leadership is influencing others to willingly follow. Leadership skills are essential for working with people to accomplish their goals and the goals of the organisation. Clearly both management and leadership are necessary for any organisation however leadership seems to be the differential that adds value and unleashes potential. Why?
Well, we can buy a person’s time, we can buy a person to be at a given place. We cannot buy a person’s enthusiasm, we cannot buy trust or loyalty; we have to earn these. This is leadership; if managers are also leaders, their employees:
You can be a manager, but you are not a leader until your position has been “ratified” by those who follow. There are four basic functions of leadership:
How you achieve these speaks volumes about your leadership style. What is important and vindication for a leader is not what happens when you’re there, it’s what happens when you’re not there.
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