Essay on Management and Leadership

Submitted By Bayoulovebug
Words: 1489
Pages: 6

Modern culture has come to rely on the strong manager and leader to accomplish most tasks in today’s world. There are multiple types of management styles and types of managers. Each manager will have a natural management style and may have multiple styles depending on the job at hand. Some forms of management can be learned and some require the natural skills of persuasion and communication. Management and leadership should go hand-in-hand with a good manager. According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, management is defined as, “a person who conducts business or household affairs.” A leader is defined as, “a person who has commanding authority or influence.” A good manager will have the natural ability to be a good leader. Former United States President, Dwight D. Eisenhower, captured the essence of this definition when he said, "Leadership is the art of getting someone else to do something you want done because he wants to do it."
Several of the differences of a manager and a leader are: A manager focuses on process and procedure, a leader focuses on people.

A manager administrates. A leader envisions.

A manager maintains. A leader develops.

A manager measures projections. A leader projects measures.

A manager ensures that things are done right. A leader ensures that the right things are being done.

A manager ensures that rules are followed (such as laws, regulations and policy). A leader empowers and inspires innovation.

A manager deals in detail while a leader deals in possibility.

A manager magnifies corporate policies, processes and procedures. A leader magnifies the person, their capabilities and their purpose.

The most sought-after manager is the “Paternalistic, or Team-Builder.” The team-builder is the manager who is also a natural born leader. He or she encourages participation of the group, the employees and the company as a whole. This manager focuses on the success of the mission, the success of the employees and the good of the company. This manager encourages feedback of those involved and does his best to keep morale high and employees involved. He is not afraid to make the tough decisions but will listen to the ideas and suggestions of workers, so that the best interest of the employees and the company will prevail. It is common to see this manager soliciting ideas and creativity from his/her employees. This manager is an honest and dedicated employee and believes in the employees and company as a whole. He or she is easy to get along with and is extremely respectful. They do not credit for work that is not theirs and make sure that the team receives the credit for completing a task. The most important attribute to this manager, and the feature that makes them far superior to other managers, is that they understand that their success as a leader completely depends on the success of their team. The key to working with this type of manager is open and honest communication. Not only does this manager expect that, he uses it to the team’s advantage. He/she may not always agree with you, but they will respect your opinions and ideas and present them to the group. They will empower their team to make necessary decisions, but in return will expect commitment and involvement. The democratic management style is one where the manager makes decisions based on the majority vote of the group. The manager will ensure that the majority of the members agree on the decision that he/she is making. Unfortunately this management style can lead to the “over-throw” of the manager as the group may see him/her as weak and unable to truly lead. The autocratic manager is a knowledgeable yet imposing person. He/she makes quick decisions based on his/her own knowledge and rarely involves the rest of the team. The typical approach of this type of manager is “my way or the highway.” This person has no understanding of teamwork and sees