Different between leader and manager
LEADER.
From the root word itself, a leader is basically someone who leads or guides and is in charge or in command of others. (www. thefreedictionary. com, 2007) But not every one is a born leader. Leadership to some is innate and to others, a skill.. And certain leaders have different characteristics but same basic roles. In essence, there are nine roles for a leader. First, a leader must take the role of a sage. He constantly develops wisdom through continuous gain of knowledge about wide-range subjects and designs a strategy by being mindful of considerations and consequences.
He must also be open to find the best path for the organization. Second role that the leader must play is that of a visionary. A visionary-leader must know how to turn seemingly impossible dreams into reality by innovating powerful ideas and articulating it to the members so that the whole group would act. A leader should be a magician. Magician in a sense that he should be able to reform things without wasting too much effort and coordinates change by maintaining equilibrium among the structures, systems and procedures of the old system into a new one.
Also, he should be able to maintain calmness despite a transition’s instability. The fourth role is that of a globalist. The leader should promote the organization’s accomplishment in leveraging the diversity of its workforce to ensue its global activities. The leader should also be able find the common ground on which the workforce can productively function. Next role is being a mentor. The leader should be committed to personal and professional development and can help his workforce to advance their careers through several learning opportunities and is devoted to the individuality of each member of the group.
The leader should also serves as a motivator by generating an environment for people to find their inner drive. Then, the leader should also be an ally which builds partnerships to come up with an effective and mutually beneficial collaboration. The leader must also be a team player. He must also be willing to extend his trust to others. Then, the leader should also be sovereign. He should always be mindful in the use of power and is clever enough to take risks and face uncertainty. He should be responsible enough to take liabilities for the organization. He should be reliable in honoring obligations.
The leader must also be a guide. He must be a flexible organizer and focused. The leader makes the journey towards the goal worthwhile. He should be able to use his expertise to accomplish the work and support the efforts of others. The last role of a leader is being an artisan. The workforce should see the leader’s devotion to master his craft and is always pursuing excellence through balanced aesthetic with practical standards. The leader should also be able to sustain attention to detail and is always pushing the creative juices of every one. (theleadingedge. com, 2007)
Style is the method and approach of presenting direction, plan implementation and motivating people. (Clark, 2005) In the manner of leadership, there are basically three styles. First is the authoritarian or autocratic style. In this style, the leader has absolute power over the team. The workforce has little opportunity to make suggestions even though it is for the best interest of the organization. This style is best employed for routine or unskilled jobs. Second is the bureaucratic style wherein it works “by the books” to ensure that the work is done properly.
This is usually used in works involving serious safety risks or big corporate deals. The last is the democratic style. The leader is open to the suggestion of the members in the decision-making process but in the end, the final decision still relies on the leader. MANAGER. He is someone who manages or controls resources and expenditures. (eLook. org, 2007) Managers play a significant role in administering the performance of their organization. First, he is involved in the decision-making process of the organization.
This role involves planning out strategies to solve or improve the quality of the wok force and the product. The manager should also be concerned in setting, planning and organizing the goal of the organization. To achieve short and long term goals, the manager should communicate the vision of the organization to the whole members. As the manager, he should also be able to guide and give directions so that the group can efficiently perform. Also, he should also empower the team because the performance of the organization greatly depends on how you motivate them.
As a manager, you should also be able to effectively communicate with your subordinates to maintain the rapport in the organization. Another role is to evaluate and analyze a process that may give the best performance for the organization. Also, the manager should provide fulfillment amongst everyone. Lastly, the manager must be an excellent role model to the whole organization. The manager must always set a high standard not just for the group but for him as well and should be able to accomplish it. The manager must set as an example of being accountable for his and the group’s performance.
(about-personal-growth. com, 2007) There are two main styles of management. These are autocratic and permissive. In the autocratic style, the manager makes all the decision unilaterally while in the permissive style, the manager allows the subordinates in the decision-making and gives them a substantial degree of autonomy in the work activities. (www. rpi. edu, 2007) One example of a good leader is Margaret Thatcher. She was responsible for setting in motion a series of interrelated events that gave a revolutionary twist to the century.
She also helped the world mark the end of the millennium with hope and buoyancy. She became powerful person to many transformations that the world has seen. (Jonhson, 2003) On the other hand, there are many great managers that do not make it in print. But, there are ways to become a great manager. The best managers are those who have an enthusiasm for continuous learning and are willing to work for their self improvement. (Hill, August 2003) A good manager is also someone who is both a team player and is concerned for others. Leaders and managers are almost synonymous but we there are still some differences.
In a reality, the context of a leader is someone that is etched in our minds as someone heroes or patriotic. Whereas, we see managers as someone fitted in the corporate world. They are seldom associated with greatness or patriotism. In the corporate world, we also seldom hear about great managers a s great leaders. The difference between manager (or management) is that they are two sides of the same coin. In being one, they perceive each other whilst being diverse and different; they are parts of the whole with vital contrasts and in those very same contrasts, they make each other clear. (Garner, 2005)
