The Difference between Leadership and Management - Essay Example

The Difference between Leadership and Management I chose the quotes because they clearly reflect the difference between Leadership and Management. Another quote that I can add is that : Management is doing things right, leadership is doing the right thing from Peter Drucker. For one, Management is about getting things done in an efficient and systematic manner which requires discipline as well as commitment. On the other hand, leadership is discerning as Drucker asks: What is needed to be done ?

( Kaarlgard, 2004). In answering this question, skills and knowledge are not enough , there must be an ethical dimension too. For a manager to become a leader, there are certain traits that on should possess. A study made by Dressler ( 2001) argues that: The idea that leaders are characterized by certain traits was initially inspired by a “great man” concept of leadership.  The evidence indicates that there are certain core traits on which significantly contribute to business leaders’ success.

  Six traits on which leaders differ from non-leaders include drive, the desire to lead, honesty and integrity, self-confidence, cognitive ability, and knowledge of the business (pp.296-297) A manager is only preoccupied with doing things right and it’s is not hard for one to become a manager. According to Zelsnick (1992) it only takes “persistence, tough-mindedness, analytical ability” to manage does making one analytical, rational , and even to the point of being ruthless in order to accomplish organizational goals.

Thus, decisions made by managers can be amoral or immoral as long as the end is justified. As for leaders, they highly influence people to get them into action. For leader to influence people, one must have integrity so that people would follow. A manager may compel people to accomplish a task because of authority but leaders “ doesn’t just react and respond, but rather takes the initiative and generates action “ ( Clemmer, 1989 ).   1. It would be hard to disagree with Drucker since his life is exemplary not only in terms of business matters but personal as well.

The management philosophy that he discussed in his conversation with Rick Warren shows that he has focus. A lot of leaders and managers nowadays lack focus and they try to do multi-tasking which leaves them stressed out. As Egan ( 2005) emphasizes “management’s responsibility is the delegation of tasks to others, and the control of outcomes” ; thus, if a manager performs everything, then he does not need a staff which defeats the definition of management. I also agree with Drucker on his concept that people should be given parallel lives when they hit the mid-life crisis.

Professionals who have been in an occupation for 20 years experience a burn-out and seek destructive methods of coping such as alcohol or affairs that would affect their professional life. Even good employees succumb to “stress and the inability to cope with the demands of the job lead to dissatisfaction and pessimistic attitude” as burn-out sets in (Lassiter, 2004) .As a leader, it is important to be sensitive to the needs of your subordinates so that they will be very well motivated despite the mundane work they have to accomplish.

Another important thing that Drucker emphasizes is character development. Too often, the focus is on executive development which overlooks the development of the leader as an individual. The Enron scandal is one good example that we need leaders with sound character, not just people who can make financial reports . The government came to a point where CEOs need to swear truthful reporting ; thus, “what was once implicit now has to be made explicit” ( Kousez and Posner, 2003). In conclusion, Peter Drucker’s management philosophy is not only addressed to success, but to total development of an individual in becoming an efficient, effective, and moral leader. 2. The main ingredient in Apple’s success was obviously the transformational leadership under Steve Jobs.

He went right into the task of assessing the whole business and correcting parts of it that needs improvement. Jobs viewed Apple as a system where one part is related to another. Part of his approach in making Apple a $30 billion company is focus which centers on the development of its less than 30 consumer products ( Ambler, 2008). Another reason why Apple is successful is because of the leadership’s ability to innovate at a faster rate than the competition. Every year, it tries to outdo itself that leaves a trail of competitors eating dust ( Morrison,B.net ). Diversity is another important issue in a multicultural society nowadays.

However, Apple has already taken the initiative in handling diversity issues as far as the 90s when the term “affirmative action” as well as “ diversity” got popular. To attest this, an article in BNET featured the interview with Santiago Rodriguez, the manager of multicultural programs at Apple Computer in Cupertino, California. Rodriguez states that when diversity is accepted in a workplace, the payoff is value-added wherein each individual “bring unique value to the workplace” ( qtd.

from BNet). Apple is known for having a unique corporate culture that invested in diversity and focused on the needs of its customers who come from different cultures. Apple doesn’t just use technology, it empowers people who use the technology. This is because of Steve Jobs revolutionary influence on conducting a business in a very different way. The values that Apple as an entity have are part of a strong and unique corporate culture wherein the transformational leadership of Steve Jobs permeated.

WORKS CITED Ambler, G. Steve Jobs and his leadership. March 30,2008. Retrieved from http://www.thepracticeofleadership.net/2008/03/30/steve-jobs-and-his-leadership/ Clemmer, J. ( 1989) Managing things and leading people. Retrieved from www.clemmer-group.com. Dessler, G. (2001). Management: Leading people into the 21st. century. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Prentice Hall Publishers. Egan ,B .( 2005) Delegate or Suffocate: The Art of Working Through Others ( white paper). Retrieved from http://images.

globalknowledge.com/wwwimages/ whitepaperpdf /DelegateOrSuffocate.pdf. Gordon, G. This man knows what diversity is - Apple Computer Inc.'s manager for multicultural programs Santiago Rodriguez ( Interview) Communication World. Dec 1992. Retrieved from http://findarticles.com/p/articles/ mi_m4422/ is_n12_v9/ai_ 13928238/. Kaarlagard,R. ( 2004). Peter Drucker on Leadership.Forbes.com Retrieved from http://www.forbes.com/2004/11/19/cz_rk_1119drucker.html Kouzes , J., Posner , B. ( 2003) Leadership Development is Character Development ( adapted from Credibility: How Leaders Gain and Lose It, Why People Demand It ).

  Retrieved from http://www.i-lead.com/articles/article023.html. Lassiter, D. ( 2004)Preventing Executive Burn-Out. Leadership Advantage Newsletter, Vol. III Number 1.Retrieved from http://www.exe-coach.com/preventing Executive Burnout.html. Morrison, C. Four Principles of Apple’s Successes (and Failures). Retrieved from http://www.bnet.com/2403-13501_23-330243.html. Zaleznik, A. (1992) Managers and leaders: are they different? Harvard Business Review. Boston, Ma. Ambler, G. Steve Jobs and his leadership.

March 30, 2008. Retrieved from http://www.thepracticeofleadership.net/2008/03/30/steve-jobs-and-his-leadership/