Leadership and Management

The business environment has in the recent past Shifted from what it was known in a couple of years ago.  This has been necessitated by technology and globalisation.  Globalisation has made it possible for companies in different continents to either compete or work hand in hand towards a common objective. Due to these changes organisations have had to change the way they do business. One of the ways in which they have done this is through the change of leadership and management styles. 

Leadership and management are two different concepts that at times people use interchangeably, this is wrong (Kotter, 2001).  While management is well known as the concept of planning, staffing, coordinating and organising, leadership on the other hand is dynamic. It is also important to note that it is easier to become a manager than it is to become a leader.  A manager is expected to be organised and have certain characteristics, a leader on the other hand needs to have certain acumen to enable them see opportunities as they arise and come up with solutions when threats are discovered. The manager is then to implement these solutions. The results of a good manager can be seen in the short run whereas results of a good leader are seen in the overall performance of the organisation in the long run.

One can be a good leader and at the same time be a good manager.  This is due to the fact that some of the requirements and characteristics of the two aspects are similar.  This therefore makes it easy for one to be a leader and a manager at the same time. Though this is a rare occurrence, there are a few examples in the world of good managers and leaders at the same time. As a leader I would like to exercise more delegation as this would help me become a manager while at the same time focusing on my leadership skills. Creativity is crucial for both managers and leaders, and this is a characteristic that I would like to improve on in my leadership career.