Most raise the question 'What is leadership and what is
the difference between leadership and management? In practice, these two terms
are used interchangeably, raising further confusion. Both have distinct
meanings. One simple but rather incorrect and loose definition is Leaders lead
people, whereas Managers manage tasks. But managers also have to lead people.
However, the difference between leadership and management is:
- Leadership is setting a new direction or vision for a
group that they follow. The leader is the spearhead.
- Management controls or directs people/resources in a
group according to principles or values that have already been established.
The difference between leadership and management can be
best illustrated by considering what happens when you have one without the
other.
Leadership without management - sets a direction or
vision that others follow, without considering too much how the new direction
is going to be achieved. Other people then have to work hard in the trail that
is left behind, picking up the pieces and making it work. Gandhi is a typical
example of this type of leader.
Management without leadership - controls resources to
maintain the status quo or ensure things happen according to
already-established plans. A referee in a game does this. He ensures the rules
are followed. Here the management is through the authority allocated to the
position or job.
Leadership combined with management - does both - it
both sets a new direction and manages the resources to achieve it. Eg: a newly
elected president of USA or prime minister of UK or India. Such leaders are
expected to act in an executive capacity.
Symbolic Leadership - This is more figurative. The
British Monarch is a figure head. She is referred to as a leader but hardly
provides leadership. Same is the case with the President of India. They are
just titular heads. However, they may be called upon to provide leadership by
virtue of their position and status in the event of a war or other natural
calamities.
Nelson Mandela was in prison for a very long time but
was considered a leader against the apartheid regime by the whole world. He
could do nothing from the Robin Island Prison. He was a silent symbolic leader
then. However, when released from prison, he became a great leader by a simple
master stroke. He extended a hand of friendship to his oppressors like Gandhi
did with non-violence movement. Mandela just destroyed the credibility of the
apartheid regime in a second.
Summary & Conclusion
Leadership is about setting a new
direction for a group; management is about directing and
controlling according to established principles. Both
leadership and management are important. After spending more
than three decades at work, managing and leading people, I have come to the conclusion that a manager can afford
not to be a leader, but a leader cannot afford not to be a
manager. In a highly competitive world, mutually exclusive
talents and skills are no longer valid. One has to have both
managerial and leadership skills.
