Essay on "Leader and an Effective Manager"

Essay 9 pages (2643 words) Sources: 9 Style: Harvard

[EXCERPT] . . . .

Leader and an Effective Manager

An Effective Manager and an Effective Leader

At the most basic edition, a leader is a person that heads other people. This is not conclusive as such a definition implies that any person is a leader at some point. Therefore, a leader is best defined by the qualities they possess that depict their ability to lead (Storey 2003, p. 16). Therefore, leadership entails more than just having the position of heading other people. A manager is a person that works with subordinates, guiding them to achieve set goals. Therefore, a manger and a leader have some relations within their form of work that create a similarity. This is the reason most people use the two terms interchangeably. However, there are significant differences that create the distinction between the two professionals.

Literature review

The manager works in the role of management, whereas a leader works in the position of leadership. Management is that process, which results in setting and achieving of organizational goals. It encompasses forecasting, organizing, coordinating, training and monitoring evaluation. Leadership is about the ability to influence, make others do something and guide in the process (Storey 2003, p. 29). Several theories developed about leadership focus on variables such as leaders and followers, situational factors and skill levels and the aspect of management in leadership. The current world uses the terms leader and manager interchangeably. The two terms have a correlation in meaning that causes people to misuse the terms. Leadership and management work concurrently. In management, there are aspects of leadership, which make the practice of management successful. Similarly, there are aspects of management in the leadership, which make the role of leader successful. Therefore, it is essential to evaluate the differences between leader and a manager, and the similarities of the same.

Differences

There are several identifiable differences between an effective leader and an effective manager. An effective manager plays the role of maintenance while an effective leader is responsible for development. In the course of management, the managers ensure that available channels of achieving the expected goals remain hence; they work to maintain the system. They ensure that the organization achieves goals, hence keep it in continuation (Eilers 2010, p. 57). On the contrary, leaders develop the system in which they lead. They focus on developmental growth; hence, the leaders work towards the growth of the system where they work. Therefore, an effective manager will keep the system intact, whereas an effective leader will develop the system or organization.

While working towards the set goals, an effective manager lays focus on the available systems and structure. The manager focuses on the structure of the organization (Bertocci 2009, p. 54). He or she lays emphasis on how the systems relate to work towards the organizational goals. On the contrary, an effective leader focuses on people to achieve the set goals. A leader understands that he does not work in isolation and that it is not the structures that cause the result, but the people. Therefore, an effective leader lays emphasis on the people he is leading. In managing, the effective manager understands that the result is the key goal. Therefore, in their cause of action, the effective manager relies on control. They ensure that they have power of all the structures, systems and people under their disposal. They maintain the control; hence have a commanding aspect within them. On the other hand, an effective leader inspires trust within the people. The leader understands that there is need for people to work in unison to achieve the greater goal. Moreover, he understands that leading people requires that they trust the leader to follow them. Therefore, to achieve their goals, leaders rely on inspiring trust within the people they lead.

In setting goals, the manager is always interested in the short-term results. An effective manager relies on results to determine their success; therefore, they rely on the short-term goals to examine their success in the practice. The manager has a short-range view, keeping regular review of their goals to determine the next course of their action. Contrary to this practice, an effective leader has a long-term goal setting habit. The leader understands that in developing the system or organization, there is a future. Therefore, an effective leader sets goals that are long-range and creates the systems and mechanisms, which are necessary in meeting those goals (Eilers 2010, p. 71). An effective manager has a short-range view while an effective leader has a long-range view. An additional difference between an effective manager and an effective leader is the questions they ask while at work. An effective manager is oriented to quick results. Therefore, the manager will ask questions that have how and when in them. The manager focuses on how to undertake a certain activity, how to achieve the desired result and when to do the activity, when to expect the result among others. On the other hand, the leader asks the questions containing 'what'? And why'? The leader asks what the organization or the people require, what to do, and what to work towards and why to do it that way among others. Therefore, the leader and manager show difference in the questions they ask in their course of work.

An effective manager is concerned with achieving the desired results (Leitner 2007, p. 81). Consequently, they have goals that range on the maximum and minimum achievable results. Thus, the manager always has focus on the bottom line. This is to ensure that, at least they get some results. Their greatest fear is failure; hence, the minimum is their salvation. Therefore, the manager has the eyes set on the bottom line. On the contrary, the manager is confident and looks forward to the challenge. Therefore, in the course of work, the leader sets eye on the optimum achievable goal. The leader works towards producing and achieve the best, hence one sets the eyes on the horizon. In the training of managers, the course sets the stage for the manger to just implement and follow certain laid structures in order to achieve the set goals (Gamage 2006, p. 41). Therefore, the manager is more of an imitator. He or she imitates the other managers who set the structures for management in achieving the objective. The manager does not create any new models of administration, but follows the available teachings to achieve their goals. However, the leader is an innovator. The leader is an originator of own leadership strategies, and their success depends on their ability to initiate new and quality models in the work place. An effective leader does not rely on the available leadership strategies, but innovates and improvises own leadership structures.

A manager concerns themselves with achieving results using the given structures and resources; hence, they accept the status quo (Cook 2009, p. 110). They work with what they have to ensure they meet their goals. On the contrary, the effective leader challenges the status quo. Considering that the leader is an originator, a developer and an innovator, they do not accept the status quo. The leader challenges the settings and structures, hence creating the chance for developing other status for the work. Therefore, the tow professionals exhibit differences in their perception of the status quo. The manager works under the command of the leadership. Therefore, the manager presents himself as a good soldier, who obeys the call to work towards the objectives of the organization. On the contrary, the leader, whether under the authority of another person or not, has the ability to think independently. Leader does not show submissiveness in achieving goals, as they are born originators (Eilers 2010, p. 91). Therefore, the leader, after knowing what the authority expects of him or her, he or she set s forth in a one-man army to achieve the set objectives. The leader is an own individual. Therefore, there is a difference in the behavior of the manager and the leader, in relation to the authority above them.

In the aspect of doing things, the effective manager concerns him or herself with doing things right. Therefore, the manager looks at the situation presented before him or her, and decides on how to do the activity right (Adair 2009, p. 67). The manager thus works within the given stipulations to ensure they achieve goals following the laid structures only. They do things right, even if it is a negative thing. On the contrary, the leader does the right thing. An effective leader will see a situation, and despite having an easier way f doing that thing, they will chose the hard way to ensure they do the right thing. Therefore, the difference between an effective manager and an effective leader is that the manager will do the thing right, whereas the leader will do the right thing.

Another difference between an effective manager and the leader is that, the manager has good ideas, which they give to the people as orders. On the… READ MORE

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