Leadership vs Management

Management & Leadership

When we think of management, we reactively think about concepts related to business & human activity. When one manages a project or an activity, one oversees every aspect related to it to achieve goals. In an essence one does lead when necessary but most of the time management is all about coordinating activities & necessary elements to a project. A manager leads his team or the project but this is not the main aspect of his job. He is involved in planning, organizing, resourcing, directing & controlling elements, be they natural, human, financial & technological resource to reach his purpose. Let’s take for instance the manager of a grocery store. He has to oversee all aspects of the store's opening and closing activities. He has to oversee the activities, responsibilities & performance of his employees, he has to plan for the delivery of his supplies & for the manner of how these products are presented, purchased & delivered to his customer base. For the smooth running & protection of the store he has to be in control of the technical aspect, point & sale systems, security systems, electronic & technical needs of the store, etc. As manager if need be, he has to answer & represent the establishment in local community activities. He has to do all these and more influenced by the tenets of management. Above leadership he has to exert knowledge of his operations as well as control its varied elements to target an outcome - a satisfied customer base that continue to support his establishment & achieve his financial targets. When we think of leadership images of company CEOs and political leaders come to mind.

Leadership is the human action of influencing the decision of a group of people or a community to achieve a desired goal. It is an aspect of management, yes. On its own though in its singularity it is the act of becoming a central figure that various others can look to for direction. A leader does not take control but mainly...