The functions of management are planning, organizing, leading, and controlling (Lopez, 2014). Management is about coping with complexity. Good management brings a degree of order and consistency. Leadership, by contrast, is about coping with change (Kotter, 2001). Leadership is a behavior that predicts the attitude of the leader when facing a given situation. Leaders are individuals who are visionary and able to influence and motivate others (Lopez, 2014). Exhibiting leadership means not only influencing others but also doing so in a manner that enables the organization to attain its goals (Vroom & Jago, 2007). Managing and leading organizations effectively takes more than meaning well and supporting only popular causes.
Church (2014), ask the question of whether or not leaders can be developed or is their leadership a given natural trait. A traditional organizational development answer to this question might be that everyone has potential and that all employees deserve and need development. According to Kotter (2001), leaders can be developed from current employees with leadership potential. A successful business will understand and recognize employees with leadership abilities and should dedicate current leaders the responsibility of building the future leaders. Through careful selection, nurturing, and encouragement, dozens of people can play important leadership roles in a business organization. Organizational effectiveness is often taken as a strong indication of effective leadership (Vroom & Jago, 2007).
Leadership and management are two distinctive and complementary systems of action. Each has its own function and characteristic activities. Both are necessary for success in an increasingly complex and volatile business environment (Kotter, 2001). Of course, not everyone can be good at both leading and managing. Some people have the capacity to become excellent managers but not strong leaders. Others have great leadership potential but, for a variety of reasons, have great difficulty becoming strong managers. Not everyone has the potential to be both a leader and manager. Each must have the potential or capacity to influence others and be able to make the right decision and ensuring that they are completed (Vroom & Jago, 2007; Kotter, 2001).
Credits
Vroom, V. H., & Jago, A. G. (2007). The role of the situation in leadership. American Psychologist, 62(1), 17–24.
Kotter, J. P. (2001). What leaders really do. Harvard Business Review, 79(11), 85–96.
Church, A. H. (2014). What Do We Know About Developing Leadership Potential?. OD Practitioner, 46(3), 52-61. Retrieved from Walden Library databases.
Lopez, R. (2014). The Relationship between Leadership and Management: Instructional Approaches and its Connections to Organizational Growth. Journal Of Business Studies Quarterly, 6(1), 98-112. Retrieved from Walden Library databases.
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Dr. Elijah Clark (March 3, 2024). Management and Leadership: Defining the Relationship [Web log post]. Retrieved from https://elijahclark.com/management-leadership-defining-relationship/