Leadership Process and Management - Personal Statement Example

Although management and leadership are not utterly different, the two concepts may not be the same either. There are many ways in which management differs from leadership, especially when looking at the differences between leadership skills and management skills. Leadership emphasizes more on the vision of the project than implementation. On the contrary, management entirely focuses on implementation, and vision is second-guessed. Further, leadership takes a keen interest in situation dynamics; these dynamics provide the leadership with hints on the right action to take. Leadership makes attempts that alter the culture to attain the best results that benefit the majority.

On the contrary, management focuses on techniques and it does not advocate for changes. Rather, management strives to maintain the status quo and order in an organization, as well as adapt to the traditions. Furthermore, leadership focuses on risk-taking and positive possibilities while management worries so much about the negative consequences, which might result from an action. Finally, leadership aims to rebuild and reshape an organization to ensure that the organization moves toward its vision and objectives. It does this through the employment of persuasion skills, as well as possible ideas. These actions do not take any consideration of the position of the organization. On the other hand, management focuses on achieving the prescribed organization and it adopts attitudes and behavior according to position or level. Management does not disclose information and knowledge to workers; they fear that their position might be compromised by information leakage.

There are many characteristics of good leaders, which can take time and space to discuss. However, the scope of this paper does not allow me to discuss the entire characteristics that good leaders should have. Therefore, I will discuss a few key qualities, which describe a good leader. Good leaders are visionary, and they are well aware of the place they want to go. These leaders motivate their subjects to share the vision that they have and believe that they will accomplish the vision in the long run. Good leaders should be characterized by wisdom, which enables them to make critical decisions in organizations. Critical calls and decisions in an organization require leaders to be wise, strategic, and perceptive.

Good leaders are passionate, and intensely focus on the activities that they decide to partake in. Good leaders coach their supporters and their subject with compassion; this ensures that the objectives of an organization can be achieved without wastage or reprimands. Other characteristics of good leaders include charisma, persistence, integrity, daring, good communication, and discipline among others. A good leader may not have the entire characteristics that are on this list, but they have a good deal of them. Read More