Management and Leadership
As a Naval Officer I had the opportunity to experience both leadership and management.
Today Navy operates with fewer people and resources than before. Therefore, leadership
and management are more important than ever. Very early in my career I was taught
leadership and as I advanced through the ranks I experienced management.
There are numerous distinctions between management and leadership. Good managers are
sometimes leaders; good leaders are sometimes managers. The distinction is primarily
between action and enabling. I see management as a function. Examples of management
include, planning, budgeting, evaluating, and facilitating. Examples of leadership include,
a relationship, selecting talent, motivating, coaching, and building. Fenton (1990) said,
Leaders are observant and sensitive people. They know their team and develop mutual
confidence within it.
Management
Management is the brains of a business. It is where someone has ultimately authority and
responsibility for the task but is not necessarily the person executing the task. Management
distributes the task to others in the team and act as advisor and facilitator. They establish
systems, create rules and operating procedures, and put into place incentive programs.
Management is about the business, not always the people. The people are important as a
way of getting the job done. Leadership is the heart of a business. Leaders are active in
most tasks. They are usually the first to take action. The leader has vision, drive and
enthusiasm. The essence of leadership means inspiring a group to come together for a
common goal. Leaders motivate, counsel and work with people to keep them bonded and
eager to move forward. That means setting a direction, communicating it to everyone and
keeping people motivated even when times get tough.
Leadership
Leadership is a facet of management. It is just one of the many assets a successful manager
must possess. The main aim of a manager is to maximize the output of the organization
through administrative implementation. To achieve this managers must undertake the four
functions of management: planning, organization, leading and controlling. In some cases
leadership is just one important component of the leading function. Predpall (1994) said,
Leaders must let vision, strategies, goals, and values be the guide-post for action and
behavior rather than attempting to control others. In some circumstances, leadership is not
required. For example, self-motivated groups may not require a single leader and may find
leaders dominating. The fact that a leader is not always required proves that leadership is
