In the modern business environment, the success of organizations is dependent on the effectiveness of its management as well as the creativity of its leadership. Understanding the distinction between management and leadership is crucial in understanding the differences that exist between a manager and a leader. The difference between the two is the most significant relations in organizations.
BusinessDictionary. com defines management as “the organization and coordination of the activities of a business in order to achieve defined objectives. Based on this efinition of management, a manager can be somebody whose responsibility is to organize and coordinate the work of people, monitor it and take corrective measures when it is necessary.On the other hand, BusinessDictionaty.
com defines leadership as “the activity of leading a group of people or an organization or the ability to: establish a clear vision; sharing that vision with others so that they will follow willingly. Therefore, in consideration of these definitions a leader is somebody who can influence people into doing something that may benefit all. This paper will ifferentiate between a leader and a manager based on their conceptions. The responsibility of managers is to ensure that the set objectives of the organization are achieved through the best means possible, sometimes they are necessitated to train the employees in order to complete the tasks in a successful manner (Drucker, 2008).
On the other hand leaders bring a team together and influences the team members to have a common believe in order to achieve the set objective (Schein, 2010). A leader guides individuals and helps them trust a certain cause of action. In general terms an organization cannot exist without managers, but can ithout leaders. Leaders only come into the limelight when a change is being introduced when people have to face it than being scared by the managers.
A manager is considered to be somebody who gives instructions to people and orders what needs to be done.Traditionally, managers were known to be responsible for forecasting, budgeting, planning and controlling. Nowadays, these tasks has nothing to do with management leave alone leadership. In the modern business world, organizations, are hiring forecasters to do the forecasting, budget managers to address budgeting issues and planner and controllers for lanning and controlling purposes.
The work of a manager has been reduced to just oversee the progress of various tasks that are within their control.Leaders do not need to do any of these tasks though they can if they desire to but their core responsibility is to lead. For one to me a manager, the top management must give that title and authority to function in that capacity but one does not need someone from the hire rank to give that title. A leader focuses on the inward and they do not assume that they know all.
They acknowledge the fact that they cannot succeed without being humble and listening to those who are around them.For one to be a manager must possess fulfil a certain criterion that has been set by an organization such as work experience in a relevant field, a certain educational level and some skills such as computer literate and knowledge in certain management applications. On the other hand for one to be a leader does not require somebody from the top management to confer that title in him but depends on people trusting in him to lead them. One does not have to be in a management position to be a leader but for one to be considered as a manager must be in a management position
