- Home
- Leadership & Management
- Leadership and Management - Hand and Glove
Leadership and Management - Hand and Glove
- By Admin Manager
- Published 07/28/2007
- Leadership & Management
- Unrated
I have been fascinated over the years by the debate, research and discussion about leadership and management. Increasingly there seems to be a focus on the differences between leadership and management and it seems to me that this has developed in part because of deficits in one or the other.
Most of us would like to become, or to think of ourselves as, strong leaders. There is something appealing about the idea of creating and pursuing a vision and influencing others to support the necessary transitions. True enough, if it wasn't for good leadership, nothing would change or improve.
However, not as many people seem to be as drawn toward being a good manager. Maybe I am misreading the "climate", but management is often associated with the mundane, the routine and a whole range of "left-brain" activity for which the kudos are few.
There appears to be a perception that one can be a leader or a manager, but not much acknowledgment that those skill sets can reside in the same individual. I believe this is an erroneous view.
My view of leadership and management is that they do require different skill sets, but must co-exist in order for any change to occur effectively. It is like a hand and a glove. Put together they make a great partnership.
I came across a short, but interesting article at
Team Technology, which acknowledges the importance of both leadership and management.
In part, the article states:
"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...
Management without leadership...controls resources to maintain the status quo or ensure things happen according to already-established plans...there is no new change, no new direction - the referee is controlling resources to ensure that the laws of the game are followed and status quo is maintained...
Leadership combined with management ...does both - it both sets a new direction and manages the resources to achieve it."
Lets have respect for both leadership and management and view them as partners in effective change and improvement processes.
(Acknowledgment : Thank you to Mr L Stratton for permission to include the above article on Career Diagnostics)
Most of us would like to become, or to think of ourselves as, strong leaders. There is something appealing about the idea of creating and pursuing a vision and influencing others to support the necessary transitions. True enough, if it wasn't for good leadership, nothing would change or improve.
However, not as many people seem to be as drawn toward being a good manager. Maybe I am misreading the "climate", but management is often associated with the mundane, the routine and a whole range of "left-brain" activity for which the kudos are few.
There appears to be a perception that one can be a leader or a manager, but not much acknowledgment that those skill sets can reside in the same individual. I believe this is an erroneous view.
My view of leadership and management is that they do require different skill sets, but must co-exist in order for any change to occur effectively. It is like a hand and a glove. Put together they make a great partnership.
I came across a short, but interesting article at
In part, the article states:
"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...
Management without leadership...controls resources to maintain the status quo or ensure things happen according to already-established plans...there is no new change, no new direction - the referee is controlling resources to ensure that the laws of the game are followed and status quo is maintained...
Leadership combined with management ...does both - it both sets a new direction and manages the resources to achieve it."
Lets have respect for both leadership and management and view them as partners in effective change and improvement processes.
(Acknowledgment : Thank you to Mr L Stratton for permission to include the above article on Career Diagnostics)