BA421 Week 2

Week 1 Assignment

Leadership and Management are two terms consistently used in business. Many people tend to get the two confused and assume that if you are a leader you must be a manager or vice versa, if you are a manager that automatically makes you a leader. I can say from personal experiences that just because your one or the other doesn’t mean you have both skills. I can say this because I have known all types of managers and leaders. The best is when managers can lead by example.

Leadership by definition is the ability to motivate and lead other people. This may sound like an easy task; however, not everyone can do this. Leadership is the ability to have the respect of others in order to complete the job. Most of the time leaders are managers and can operate in both capacities.

Managers by definition are the execution of organizational goals by effective planning, organizing, staffing, directing, and controlling organizational resources. My overview of the above definition is simple Managers are responsible for efficient use of all company resources. Managers need to be effective leaders in order to accomplish the goals that have been set in front of them and make the most efficient use of their resources. Managers cannot lead from behind a desk (I personally have known quite a few who tried). This causes a massive discomfort, hatred and an incredible number of issues before even beginning. I like to associate the adage “if you are not willing to do it or haven’t done it yourself, then how can you tell or ask someone else to do it”?

Management focus’s direction towards the paperwork side of the house. Managers, ensure that the money is allocated for a project such as building a commercial building without going over budget. They are the ones to sit down and make a schedule for the project, allocate personnel, equipment, contractors and any other aspects of the job. They try to keep the project as under budget as possible. Leadership, on the other hand, understands that there always will be an issue and pre-plans to block that effect. They also see a chance to take full advantage of three nice days and a chance to knock the roof and land development part of the project without costing extra days to the project but saving days and time in the later part of the project. They are looking at how the next part of the project will be affected by how they set things up now. Pretty much if you compare Management and Leadership in this instance, Management will be planning the job and materials, Leadership is out there in the field rearranging the project for the best outcome and motivating the people on the job.

Management in this case aligns followers by setting up the week by week schedule of the project, dates to be completed by and which employees will be on the job and what procedures are needed safely to complete the job. Leadership is in the field doing the kick off meetings, grabbing a shovel, hammer or whatever is available and getting dirty. Talking to the guys of how awesome this project is going to be when it is complete and that they have a hand in something bigger than a job. They are laying the future for the business and job security. They are the ones cross training the guys in the field in case something goes wrong and leads by example.

Management builds relationships by meeting deadlines on projects like these. For instance, if a customer wants a store built in 90 days, management lays the foundation for this to occur. Leadership, on the other hand, is out there, shaking hands with the customer allowing them to have a personable feel for everything. Leadership gives a personal guarantee that a person believes and forms a positive energy with their contractors and employees to meet the deadlines.

The qualities of a leader and manager are different in some ways but, in many ways are the same. They both want to achieve the same outcome but reach the goals in different fashions. A leader admits when they are wrong and fixes the mistake, a manager, on the other hand, solves the problem, but is never wrong.

References

· Daft, R. L., & Lane, P. G. (2015). The leadership experience (6E ed.). Australia: Cengage Learning.

· MIXON, M. (2014). Leadership vs. management responsibility. Smart Business Cleveland, 25(8), 14.

· Kilbort, P. M. (2004). Management vs. Leadership. Physician Executive, 30(6), 32-35.