A good manager will tell you that the union of leadership and management is absolutely vital for the growth and productivity of the employees of the company as well as the company itself. While these two go hand in hand, forming a perfectly symbiotic relationship, they are not the same thing. Even though leadership and management are complementary and can often be confused with each other, the difference between them must be kept in mind to guarantee success.
What’s the difference between Leadership and Management?
To put it very simply, leadership can be defined as the ability to make people follow you and your rules (i.e. your way), willingly and enthusiastically. Leadership is all about giving people a new direction and making them follow the path of that new direction. Even though it is a core value of any organization, it loses its importance if the people following this leadership lack motivation to do so.
Management, on the other hand, involves the planning and organization of the team and the task at hand to achieve set targets and goals. However, it doesn’t stop at just that. A good manager is also required to lead his team which is the prime reason why leadership and management are considered to be corresponding to each other. The responsibilities of a manager as a leader include –
• Communicating
• Motivating
• Guiding
• Encouraging
These duties, on the part of the manager, help his team to perform well. His other responsibilities include assisting his team members and coaching them to carry out the task at hand along with problem solving in case the employees face any trouble.
3 Key Principles of Management and Leadership
Now that the difference between the two is crystal clear, let us move on to the top three crucial principles of successful leadership and management. Following these tips will ensure sustained growth, success and stability in the long run.
1. An effective Management/Leadership is necessary at all Levels of Management to Guarantee Success
To understand this principle, let’s go back to the concept of “Peter’s Principle”. Peter’s Principle clearly states that a suitable candidate for any position in a company is one who excels in his performance in his present role rather than one who’s most qualified for the proposed role. Translate that into the world of leadership and management and it implies that the qualities and skills that guarantee success at the base level of a supervisor need not necessarily be the same as those attributes that ensure the same at middle and senior level management. In fact, the attributes will be quite different.
Take for example, executive level management. Success in this area requires completely different sets of strengths and skills when compared to another (taking those skills into account which are beyond experience and knowledge). So to ensure success, it is vital that management and leadership at all levels of a company is top notch, right from the base to the executive level.
2. Developing as well as Executing Supportive and Directive Practices over Time is a must for Quality Management/Leadership
Studies show that most managers or leaders lean on any one end of the spectrum when it comes to choosing between directive leadership and supportive leadership. Directive leadership involves a rather formal approach in which orders are given to employees along with guidelines and their work schedules. Supportive leadership has a friendlier attitude and the manager/leader concerns himself with the well-being of his subordinates. Most managers/leaders have a natural tendency, which inclines them towards the overuse of either one of these practices. But this is hardly conducive for optimum growth as well as the welfare of the employees who form the core of the company.
A leader/manager may sometimes face a certain situation while coaching his employees, which he’s unsure of how to handle effectively. In such a scenario, it is best to employ a combination of both these practices. This allows for flexibility and one can change his approach as and when the situation demands it. For example, if the situation is favorable, supportive practice can be employed. In case of unfavorable situations, directive leadership will be more effective.
3. Prioritizing: Ensuring stability is more Important than Growth
At the core of this principle lies a value – succeeding at the task at hand rather than focusing on the tasks of the future. Stability comes with practice and is a very integral part of the learning process. In order to achieve stability, the management/leadership has to ensure the replication of the tried and tested formula of success and mould and adapt it to various situations. The mastering of this replication of the success formula not only guarantees stability in the long run but also paves the path for growth.
It is important to mention here that growth can mean different things for different organizations. For some growth might refer to expansion, for others it can be a higher monetary turnover, while for others it might just simply be getting better at what they do and continuously improving and enhancing their credibility and viability in the market. Whatever the organization’s definition of growth may be, true success can only be achieved if both stability and growth are focused upon in that particular order.
Many research studies and expert opinions back these three pointers as the golden mantras of effective leadership and Management. A leader/manager who incorporates these principles in his work ethics not only secures a fledgling career for himself, but also ensures the welfare of his employees and the growth of his company.
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