What is the difference between management and leadership - Essay Example

MANAGEMENT AND LEADERSHIP goes here] [Due paper] Differences between Management and Leadership Both managers and leaders aim to make people/subordinates achieve goals and objectives through a well-planned strategy. However, there exist some differences in the approach they use to achieve their goals. According to Prussakov (2009), both leadership and management work with people, influence their work approach, and guide them to bring improvements in their work related behaviors and characteristics.

There are just some minor differences between the two concepts which affect the working of their subordinates. Let us have a view at those differences and know the way managers can improve their skills to become more effective. Leadership refers to the task of guiding people towards the achievement of some specific goals and objectives. According to Cherry (2010), leaders encourage their followers to utilize their full potential and get new opportunities to learn. They view the need for change as an opportunity for their followers to grow in their professional lives and increase their levels of productivity (Elkington, 2010).

They motivate people to use their skills and abilities to get their personal, social, political, or organizational needs and demands fulfilled. The role of leaders in the process of goals achievement is to identify the need of the followers, make them aware of their responsibilities to fulfill those needs, design and give an effective strategy to the followers, and motivate them to continue putting efforts to achieve the goals. On the other hand, managers do things in a programmed manner. They do everything to fulfill organizational needs and hardly focus on the needs of employees.

Another difference between leaders and managers is the way they develop policies. Managers always think incrementally and set priorities and goals according to the needs and limitations of the company’s policy. On the other hand, leaders think radically towards bringing change in the current policies and organizational structure. They do everything to meet the interests of their followers. This difference shows that managers always have to follow the policy of their respective organizations in carrying out any job related activity, whereas leaders are independent in doing whatever they want and whichever way they want.

They listen to the concerns of their followers and guide them in all phases of all social, political, and organizational movements. They work for collective interests to get things done collectively.Managers monitor and control the activities of their employees. They do so to achieve organizational goals in a timely manner. As Simmons (2012) states, “managers always realize that effectiveness is the real goal, and efficiency is necessary but not sufficient for sustaining a healthy organization”.

They guide their employees in their assigned job tasks, do proper scheduling of tasks, organize the activities of employees, and lead and motivate them to get things done in their due time. Managers can be more effective for their organizations if they adopt some leadership qualities, such as, continuous motivation, visionary outlook, and excellent bonding with followers. They should also inject the ‘I can do it’ power in their employees as leaders do for their followers because this power is one of the essentials of successful achievement of goals.

Leaders make their followers do things that seem impossible or which have not been done in the past (Garner, n.d.).. ReferencesCherry, K. (2010). Transformational Leadership. Retrieved from http://psychology.about.com/od/leadership/a/transformational.htmElkington, R (2010). Transformational Leadership in Non-Profits. Retrieved from http://www.suite101.com/content/transformational-leadership-in-non-profits-a278327Garner, E. (n.d.). The Difference Between Managers and Leaders. Retrieved from http://www.

ezinearticles.biz/article/The-Difference-Between-Managers-and-Leaders/753Prussakov, G. (2009). 20 Differences Between Management and Leadership. Retrieved from http://www.amnavigator.com/blog/2009/05/12/20-differences-between-management-leadership/Simmons, B. (2012). The Difference between Management and Leadership. Retrieved from http://www.bretlsimmons.com/2012-03/the-difference-between-management-and-leadership/