Principles Of Management: Are there differences between a leader and a manager - Essay Example

Individuals who remain unaware of this matter would think that being a manager automatically makes them a good leader. To answer the research question of whether there is a difference between a leader and a manager, the researcher will first provide the definition of a leader and a manager. Eventually, the researcher will discuss about the respective qualities of a leader and a manager followed by the functionalities of the two. Leader – referring to someone who not only influence, select, equip, and train his/her follower(s) that possess different abilities and skills but also enables the follower(s) to willingly participate with the leader in terms of achieving the organization’s goal.

1 Managers will never be a born manager. It is also a myth to believe that “leaders are born leaders” since leadership skills are learned and acquired through many years of personal experience in handling people.3 According to Dessler (2001), leaders are individuals who are capable of inspiring another person who often times have the “drive to achieve their goals; the desire to lead; self-confidence; cognitive ability; honesty and integrity; as well as having sufficient knowledge in doing business.

”4 On top of these personality traits, a leader should always be influential among his/her followers without having the need to use coercion. Instead, a good leader uses his personal power through good communication skills such as the ability to write and speak effectively in public; aside from his/her ability to know the specific needs and wants of his/her subordinates.5 Murphy (1996) and DePree (1989) give emphasis that the secret behind the successful leaders within a certain group is to select the right people.

6 Collins (2002) explained that getting the right people means that these people should be “in the right seats on the bus.”7 It only means that the leader should know the strength and weaknesses