Leadership and Management

Leadership and Management

Developing Leadership and Management

Through implementing proper leadership and management strategies, modern organizations can achieve higher levels of success. This research provides the characteristics of effective leadership, theories of leadership, backed with inspirational figures, and implementation techniques.

Effective Leadership and Management

Leadership and management are two sides of any company that are complementary to each other. A company will eventually run into losses if it embraces only one factor without the other. However, there are some characteristics that a leader portrays to be effective. These characteristics include inspiration, goal-oriented, authoritative, and trust. Three women leaders have managed to appear among the greatest; Jacinda Ardern, Margrethe Vestager, and Anna Nimiriano. Analysis of these leaders provides evidence that leadership requires someone with particular skills, knowledge, and behavior. Theories like transactional style, great man, and transformational concur with the traits of the leaders listed herein. The quality of leadership in a firm can improve based on how severe the people are in terms of learning. Learning helps to enhance the skills of leadership and also improve the output. Leaders have to communicate with the employees so that they know whether they implement the pieces of training or not.

Section One

Developing Leadership and Management

Introduction

Modern organizations are adapting new leadership and management styles in order to improve their performance. Leadership and management, however, are two different concepts that need each other in order to work effectively. Wajdi, in his article ‘The differences between management and leadership’ asserts that the two thoughts – leadership and management – associate with different kinds of traits and behaviors (2017, 75). The act someone portrays is a fundamental factor that can tell whether or not they can be good at matters concerning management. This research paper intends to highlight the skills and behaviors that leaders need to possess so that they deliver proper management in modern organizations.

Contemporary Definitions of Leadership and Management

Management

The concept management has received several definitions. The responsibilities of management often focus on a set of goals. Achieving the set of goals and targets requires staff with high potential to succeed. Also, conflict and disagreement is a common problem in any organization that encompasses a team. Therefore, ethically resolving disputes is also a necessity. Management refers to the use of executive, administrative, and supervisory authority to influence a group of individuals or an organization to work towards particular goals (Wajdi 2017, 76). Management, therefore, involves giving people guidance or direction while exercising some level of authority.

Certain conditions help to develop sound management. One of the requirements of proper management is to select a team of managers and subordinates according to their capabilities. For example, Wajdi states that in command, the managers will always direct the people working under them (2017, 77). Managers have to show authority over subordinates in the same manner that aides need to respect their managers. Wajdi further insists that according to the transactional style of management, the assistants will have to follow the directives of the manager for them to earn a salary (2017, 77). Therefore, a good management team is one that both the managers and the employees coexist in a harmonious working environment aiming to achieve specific goals.

Leadership

Leadership helps a firm to achieve its targets. Leadership mainly entails how a person influences the thoughts, attitudes, and behaviors of others. The leaders of a team help by setting the direction for action. The staff can get a picture of the targets that lie ahead of them. When a group of people can visualize goals, then they get the encouragement to keep on working towards those targets. Surji explains that people see things in different ways, so leadership is the uniting factor in one direction (2015, 156). Thus, leadership means giving people the inspiration to do things that they otherwise would not do.

Leadership is all about helping people to develop a vision and influencing them to work towards the vision. A good leader is someone who holds the inspirations and motivations of a group of people. In the same manner, Wajdi explains that good leaders are those who create passion, which aims at their visions; those who take risks to achieve both common goals and long term goals and challenge the current status quo (2017, 77). Since leadership deals with influencing people, a leader should be charismatic with the ability to drive people’s minds positively.

Similarities and Differences between Leadership and Management

Similarities

Leadership and management in modern organizations are inseparable. It is impossible to exercise any form of control in a firm without practicing leadership. Li asserts that the reason why companies fail is either too much leadership or management (2016, 158). The reason why many organizations fail to progress is that they give all efforts towards direction without considering the vital aspect, management. Li further explains that too much leadership without management will force the employees to retaliate (2016, 158). The two concepts have to incorporate each other in order for the firm to achieve success.

Leadership and management are deeply correlated. Both leadership and management involve working with and influencing a team to achieve common targets. In terms of exercising control and influence over a group of people, leadership and management need each other. According to Wajdi (2017), leadership and management are two distinctive yet complementary activities that are necessary for success in any business environment (79). Leadership is not better than control, and the reverse is not true either. Leadership and management cannot substitute one another because this will lead to failure.

Differences

Leadership and management also have some distinction. Leaders and managers both have different contributions to an organization. Despite that firms require both active managers and effective leaders to achieve targets, the two do not possess similar characteristics. Leaders strive to understand people’s beliefs and control their commitment, whereas managers exercise authority and focus on goals (Wajdi 2016, 78). Therefore, the difference between leadership and management lies in whatever a leader and a manager do in a company.

Roles and Responsibilities of Leaders and Managers

There is a clear distinction between a leader and a manager. The relationship of a leader and manager to persons that they control is different. A leader has a multidirectional relationship, while a manager has a unidirectional authority relationship. According to Wajdi, Managers take care of the structures and systems of any organization, whereas leaders communicate and motivate (2017, 78). Leaders and managers exercise different relationships with their subordinates.

Managers have subordinates, while leaders have followers. According to management, there is a group of assistants who take instructions from someone who is above them. Therefore it suffices that a manager is someone who has subordinates. On the other hand, a leader is someone whose main contribution is to influence the workforce. Whenever leaders want to earn the trust of their followers, they have to give up the precise control that managers have Wajdi 2017, 81). A manager, therefore, is someone who guides people while a leader is someone that people regard as an example to emulate.

A manager authorizes while a leader transforms. Subordinates usually perform all the tasks that managers assign them without questioning their authority. Wajdi confirms that since a manager has a transactional style of position in the company (2017, 80). The organization has given the manager full authority over the people working under him. However, a leader does the opposite because instead of ordering, they inspire the hearts of subordinates. A leader is charismatic and has a transformational style of influence (Wajdi 2017, 81). Therefore, a manager and a leader have different ruling styles.

Work motivates the manager, while leaders’ ambitions come from the people they oversee. Managers have a set of goals or targets that usually keep them working. Managers are tied to the requirements of the firm because they depend on salary. Managers are subordinates, too, since time and money limits them (Wajdi 2017, 81). Leaders are always good with people, mostly give credit to others while ready to take the blame on themselves. Even though leaders pay attention to tasks, they know that motivating others to work in a similar direction is equally essential (Wajdi 2017, 81). Conclusively, a manager focuses on work while a leader pays attention to the people.

Managers have comfort zones, while leaders are risk-takers. Managers are people who will always stay in their comfort zones by avoiding risky situations at all costs. Managers tend to come from stable backgrounds, the reason as to why they lead comfortable lives (Wajdi 2017, 81). On the contrary, leaders perceive that obstacles and hurdles are typical when working towards targets. Leaders are not afraid of taking risks and will use any opportunity regardless of the rules, to achieve their tasks (Wajdi 2017, 81). Therefore, managers will tend to stay inside their comfort zones to avoid the risky scene, but leaders see opportunity at risk.

Modern organizations need strong management as well as strong leadership. Leaders are influential because they help the company to counter challenges. Managers will effectively utilize resources and maintain a conducive working environment. A company can only achieve a stable position in the marketplace when it has both skilled managers and leaders (Wajdi 2017, 82). Organizations require managers and leaders because their roles are complementary to one another. A well-balanced organization is one that has both leaders and managers (Wajdi 2017, 81). Therefore, leaders and managers should work together in the same way that leadership of an organization needs active management.

Section Two

Types of Leadership exhibited by Jacinda Ardern, Margrethe Vestager, and Anna Nimiriano

Jacinda Ardern

Jacinda Ardern leads her people with empathy. The current covid-19 pandemic tests in which leaders have the most promising skills to protect the people. Leaders are reacting differently, each in their style that seems best for them. Jacinda is the prime minister of New Zealand, who is portraying a very different leadership style (Friedman 2020). Jacinda uses empathy in this time of crisis so that the people can fend for themselves. Whenever she delivers her speeches, the nation finds some kind of relief. Ardern is emotional with her followers, and this is what is helping her to influence them.

Empathy is the gateway to earning the trust of a nation. Many signs reveal that the people of New Zealand have faith in their prime minister. One of the evidence is from Helen Clark, New Zealand’s prime minister from 1999 to 2008. According to Clark, Jacinda is an exemplary leader because she stands with her people, not just delivering speeches (Friedman 2020). Although sometimes citizens do not understand why the government acts in a particular manner, they trust that it is in their best interest. Therefore, empathy enables a leader to gain the trust of the followers.

Jacinda Ardern is a leader who inspires the motivations of the people. When talking to citizens, she attracts their consciousness and brings them towards the goal. Instead of giving harsh comments and recommendations, she prefers to inspire them to deliver the best out of them. She uses the transformational leadership style, better known as inspirational motivation (Ahmed 2016). Therefore, citizens are always willing to listen and do as Ardern requests because they are motivated by her words.

Ardern cares about her colleagues. A form of transformational leadership called individualized consideration (Ahmed 2016). In this approach, a leader will always show concern about those who work below them. Ahmed et al. state that for individualized consideration leadership, the leader reassures, cares for, and coaches workers in a friendly manner (2016). There was a time that Jacinda exclaimed upon the arrival of one of her colleagues is evidence that she is very comfortable while in the office environment (Friedman 2020). Therefore, Jacinda Ardern is a better leader because she does not rule; she motivates people towards specific targets.

Margrethe Vestager

Margrethe is the European Union’s (EU) commissioner for competition. There are several reasons why Margrethe comes out as an effective leader. One is because she uses her authority to fight many problems in the European world. In a most recent event, Vestager proposed that all companies which have been rescued by the EU program of buying shares should not pay executive bonuses (Rankin 2020). This proposal majorly follows the current crisis of covid-19 that that has disrupted most of the business operations globally.

Good leaders will use their powers to achieve whatever targets lie ahead of them. A leader has some authority over a group of people. For example, Margrethe Vestager used the powers vested by the EU on her to monitor how Amazon treats small businesses (Rankin 2019). Margrethe has become an international figure in the way she uses authority. Regardless of nationality, Vestager investigates a company to find out whether they break the rules, such as underpaying taxes. For example, she took strict investigatory action on top United States companies, namely Google and Apple (Rankin 2019).

Margrethe Vestager is a leader with power and responsibility. The position that she holds at the European Union has many responsibilities. One of her core functions is to oversee that all member companies maintain ethical practices regardless of the state of origin (Rankin 2019). Leaders have to understand the responsibilities placed before them to ensure that they use the right procedure towards attaining such goals. An efficient leader is one who is a master and will use control where possible to achieve results (Friedman 2020). Therefore, Margrethe manages to be a good leader because she uses the power and authority to ensure that companies observe ethical business practices.

Leaders will go beyond whatever obstacles that may come ahead of them. When leaders guide their followers towards some targets, they know that along the way, there are some difficulties. For example, when Margrethe Vestager was investigating two of US top companies, Donald Trump felt that she was biased (Rankin 2019). The US president further replied that Vestager was against the US, and that is the reason for her actions towards the two companies (Rankin 2019). Despite these allegations, Margrethe still held on to her claims that all EU companies have to follow the rules and regulations. Idealized influence style of leadership dictates that the leader has the emotional stability, and will not stop even when conflicts arise (Friedman 2020).  Therefore, better guidance is one that views obstacles as a stepping stone rather than hindrances.

Anna Miriano

Anna Miriano Nunu Siya has risen on the ladders of women leadership in the world. She is the Editor-in-Chief of South Sudan’s most accepted English language newspaper called Juba Monitor (Achan 2019). Fortune Magazine has released its 50 World’s Greatest Leaders, where Anna is ranked number eight. To add on to that, she is also the winner of the Women in News Editorial Leadership Award 2019 Africa, which is run by the World Association of Newspapers and News Publishers (WAN-IFRA) (Achan 2019). Therefore, Nunu has risen to be an international figure of leadership.

Nimiriano stands up for whatever she knows is right. Theorists have stated that some characteristics differentiate leaders from followers. The trait theory states that a leader is someone who has specific physical and personality behaviors that distinguish them from non-leaders (Ahmed 2018). Anna Nimiriano is a fearless lady who, even though she works in a country that does not support journalism, still chooses to pursue her career. When authorities arrested colleague for writing about leadership, Nunu stormed into a prison demanding for his release (Achan 2019). Thus, a leader has the confidence to keep on pushing for justice even when circumstances are not friendly.

Nimiriano developed an interest in journalism ever since she was a child. According to the grand man theory, leaders are born with the potential of becoming a hero (Ahmed 2016). Anna started her journey back from home, where she recalls her elder sister praising her for giving detailed narrations in case of any incidents (Achan 2019). She went on to develop this trait in intermediate, secondary school, and university. After her studies, Nimiriano was a fully developed journalist, and so she was able to join Khartoum Monitor, now known as Juba Monitor. Therefore, there are those leaders who are born with special characters.

The three women Jacinda, Margrethe, and Anna, have managed to become inspirational figures in the world. Jacinda uses inspirational motivation kind of leadership to motivate and inspire people to follow her. Margrethe, however, has employed the idealized influence type of leadership, where she uses authority to ensure companies do things correctly. Anna, lastly, is supported by the great man theory because her career in journalism started from childhood. Conclusively, leaders have different styles of ensuring that people act accordingly.

Section Three

Effective leadership is a phenomenon that can help the management of a company to achieve targets. In the same manner, a leader has to exhibit unique qualities that enable him or her to guide the followers towards those goals. Effective leadership and change management are two things that, if utilized well, will ultimately lead to the success of the institution (Yao and Yazdanifard 2015). When a company has no leadership, then it may not reach its aims. Therefore, leadership is one of the main components that bring change in any organization.

Good leaders usually set goals and objectives for the firm. A leader often is the one who has overall control operations of the company. The leader is responsible for offering guidance to the followers. Therefore, a good leader is someone who will take their time to define goals and targets (Yao and Yazdanifard 2015). When subordinates see that they have a set of rules to follow, then they will pull up their socks and work hard towards that direction.

Good leaders know how to motivate and inspire employees. A leader will ensure that followers are in good terms with the instructions they offer. From time to time, a leader will maintain communication with subordinates to analyze their feelings towards the plans. Necessarily, some leaders can motivate their followers by offering rewards (Yao and Yazdanifard 2015). Benefits like health compensations and work insurance are what inspires employees to put more effort into the company’s goals. Thus, a good leader takes note of the feelings of his followers.

Efficient leadership also has control. Regardless of the task that ahead, good leaders will tend to use the full authority given to them by the organization. The leader is usually someone with a position in the organization. Designated a level of the body, a leader will exercise full authority and power to guide followers towards the stipulated goals (Yao and Yazdanifard 2015). The influence of the administration can motivate employees to lift the company into achieving a higher status. Indeed, a good leader is someone who uses the authority given to them.

A prominent leader utilizes the knowledge they have. Followers, in most cases, look up to their leaders as people who have some skills and expertise in a particular field. Any leader who wants to drive their followers must not be afraid to utilize whatever skills they have (Yao and Yazdanifard 2015). The employees’ level of doubt reduces when they know that their leader is skilled and knowledgeable. A business requires leaders to incorporate their knowledge to reach the goals of the company.

Learning

Learning is one of the ways that a leader can use to change the performance of the organization. All segments of the firm require change starting from the top management, the leaders, to the last team member. First of all, learning helps leaders to improve their leadership skills and knowledge, which in turn enhances the execution of plans. Employees, on the other hand, will need to train so that they develop their expertise on how to do their jobs appropriately. A company which has skilled employees is most likely to increase its output (Yao and Yazdanifard 2015). Both leaders and their followers need to learn so that the firm can be better.

Members of a team can learn through training programs. Leaders should make an effort to be part of any leadership training program in order to strengthen further their leadership skills (Yao and Yazdanifard 2015). Proper management will also cater to the employees by sending them for training forums where they gather more techniques on how to work efficiently. By doing so, the company can change in the desired direction. Moreover, the company can increase productivity while at the same time, reduce the rate of employee turnover. Nokia is an excellent example of a company that once held top sales for cell phones, but later on, failed because they could not keep up with current trends. Therefore, organization training is essential for a firm that wants to survive in the modern business world.

Leaders have to monitor the direction of the employees. In any organization, the leaders have to earn the trust of the employees through effective communication techniques (Yao and Yazdanifard 2015). When leaders can define what they need from the followers, the company will reach greater heights. Employees and leaders need to talk to each other so that they understand whatever roles each one has to play. In the path to success, the leader will need to take a step of comparing the current position of the company with the initial one. With this kind of analysis, the leader can tell whether they are progressing or not.

A good leader is one who has some special skills and behaviors that others do not have. One of the skills required in a leader is that they set clear objectives so that others can follow. Another sufficient trait is that a leader takes note of the feelings and emotions of followers. Since he does not want to come out as a commander, influencing the emotions of employees is critical. Moreover, a leader has to make sure that they continuously improve their knowledge and skills. The current business world is changing by the day, so a good leader is one who makes sure they stay updated on whatever trends that emerge. Therefore, leadership is a practice that requires the leader to improve on their skills and knowledge consistently.

Conclusion

Modern organizations require that they employ excellent leadership skills so that they can perform in the current trends. Management cannot exist without leadership, and leadership is not valid without supervision. Three women leaders have managed to attract the attention of the world. Jacinda Ardern is an excellent example of what a leader should be. She does not give blatant rules; instead, she empathizes with the followers so that they feel motivated. Through inspiration and motivation, a leader can influence followers to a great extent. Therefore, any company that wants to witness a higher level of achievement should be keen on not just the management but having good leadership too.

Table No. 1. The distinction between leadership and management

Source: http://toolkit.smallbiz.nsw.gov.au/part/8/39/188