LEADERSHIP

Management vs. Leadership

“An effective leader doesn’t have to be a manager. Likewise a manager doesn’t necessarily have to be a leader. Yet the most effective managers generally have some leadership traits” (James Clausen)

Managers focus attention and energy on how things get done and their role in events that take place. In addition, they make decisions based on true facts; they do things by the book and think inside the box. They have the authority to direct work and behaviour. On the other hand, leaders are more concerned with ideas (consider big picture) and take into consideration what events and decision mean to people. In addition, a leader does what is right. Leaders have influence through example, persuading, motivating and teaching.

A good leader will generate an atmosphere of teamwork. Managers need to ensure their subordinates reach their goals either separately or collectively. Conversely, leaders have the ability to ensure the subordinates perform the tasks up to the standard required. They do this via inspiration or encouragement. 

Explanation of the managerial grid developed by Blake and Mouton (1964)

M.Simpson (2010)

The grid above was developed by Robert Blake and Jane Mouton in the early 1960s. Known as the Managerial Grid, it plots the level of ‘concern for people’ against the ‘concern for production’ and classifies five combinations as diverse leadership styles.  ‘Concern for people’ is the degree to which a leader considers the needs of team members and their interests when deciding how to best complete a task. Alternatively, ‘concern for production’ is the level to which a leader emphasises existing objectives, high output and organisational efficiency when deciding how best to complete a task.

The five leadership styles are described as follows:

·         Social- This style of leadership is mainly concerned about members within an organisation rather than the outcome. These people operate under the belief that as long as team members are happy and content then they will continue to work hard and remain motivated. The downside to this is that production suffers due to lack of direction and management.

·         Team- This is the ideal style as both production concerns and people concerns are equally taken into consideration. The belief is that members of staff are involved in understanding the needs for organisational production. Employees’ needs and production are equivalent when they are dedicated to their work and can recognise the company’s achievement. This leads to a top notch team environment, which then leads to high contentment and motivation and consequently, high production.

·         Middle-of-the-Road- This is where the manager balances the concerns equally. They avoid taking untested risks by relying on tried and trusted technique. As the concerns for both people and production are average, the performance will remain of a satisfactory standard rather than top quality.

·         Impoverished- This type of style is poor management style as the concerns, for productivity along with working atmosphere that is motivating, are low. Objectives are not met due to lack of motivation and a disorganised workplace.

·        Authoritative- managers in this category have great concern for production and little concern for people. As a result, they impose strict rules and procedures in order to achieve productive efficiency. Employees carry out the work and meet the objectives set, but remain dissatisfied. 

I carried out work experience at Halifax Plc for a couple of weeks. In the two weeks I was there, the manager ensured each member of staff remained motivated in getting the job done. In addition, he regularly checked up on the staff to see how they were getting on and whether they were achieving the objectives set. The type of style which relates to him the most is ‘middle-of-the-road’ management style. This is because he made sure the employees were satisfied at work as well as making sure the work was done to a satisfactory level.

A STRONG LEADER

Martin Luther King is probably the most famous person associated with civil rights movement. To many, Martin Luther King typified what the civil rights campaign was all about and he brought substantial international cover to the movement. He was able to convince thousands into believing what he believed in. People gained trust in him and that's one vital thing you need as a good leader: trust from followers. His determination and self-belief is what made him a courageous leader who dove right into the conflict and made people love him for his courage to stand up. He was a leader because he called for a change (justice for African Americans). In doing so, his main leadership trait was courage; the readiness to stand up and having to face the possibility of threats.

EVALUATION

Having thoroughly studied leadership as a topic, I fully understand the main differences between a manager and a leader. Every organisation needs a manager, but the most effective type of manager is someone who manages through leadership. Both managers and leaders have different traits enabling us to distinguish between the two. The Blake and Mouton Managerial grid helped me understand the distinct styles of management.

REFERENCES

Mindtools (2010). Blake and Mouton Managerial Grid [online]. available from: http://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newLDR_73.htm

Mullins, L. (2010) Management and Organisational Behaviour. 9^th ed. England: Prentice Hall

M.Simpson (2010) PowerPoint presentation.

Leadersdirect (2010). Martin Luther King Leadership [online]. Available from: http://leadersdirect.com/LeadersDirectBlog/?p=15