Management and Leadership

Management and Leadership

The military is a breeding ground for leadership. Most believe that a manager is the same as a leader which is not the case. Leaders must have followers and managers must have assets to move around to satisfy organizational goals. People follow good and bad leaders reluctantly or passionately. Managers take orders from leaders and ensure that a project is completed on time and on target (http://guides.wsj.com, 2011). With that thought process management and leadership could be separated. Today’s economy rivals the thought that a leader is separate from management. Employees look at managers as leaders and expect decisions and direction that may not always be clearly defined. Managers take care of employees, organize, nurture, mentor, develop and inspire. Looking at that statement leaders do much the same and the only difference would be time spent with a given employee. If that would be the case then a leader would be nothing else but a high level manager. Most businesses are task oriented. Past experiences has taught me that if a leader is wrapped up in day to day activities he cannot look forward. A leader that cannot lift his head up is blind to organize a force for the future. Most military have experienced a leader that is constantly acting and not reacting. Most civilians have experienced coming to work in the morning not knowing what they will be doing and at the end of the day everything has to be done now. Poor planning is poor planning no matter if it is a manager or a leader. Someone must always give orders, provide direction and hopefully motivate or inspire the workforce at the same time. In today’s business world this could be a manager, a leader or both.

Personally I have a unique perspective of leadership. I have served and retired from the US. Army after 28 years as a Brigade level Command Sergeants Major that led forces as large as 6000 personnel that included all branches of service, civilians and contractors....