Difference between the role of a leader and the functions of a manager
According to Carmichael (84), a leader is defined as a person who exercises a dominant or a superior position in a particular field, and he is in a position to exercise a high degree of control over the people he is leading. In an organization, a team leader is someone who gives or provides instructions, guidance, direction and leadership to a group of other individuals or a team with an aim of achieving a certain organizational goal. There are many aspects that make someone a good leader in an organization. If someone has followers, then he/ she can be termed as a leader. This is because if someone has many followers, he is in a position to be listened to and understood by the followed. The abiding of rules by such followers can make an organization achieve its set goals. One can also become a leader if he/ she is in a position to translate the vision of an organization in to reality. Hence a good leader is a person of the people. The main duty of a leader is therefore to provide leadership to a particular group of people. It is therefore important to understand its meaning (Carmichael, 99). Leadership refers to the ability of a person to understand and utilize ones inner talents and to effectively influence the natural strength of his or her team so as to achieve the organizational mission. A leader should be humble, express his/ her personality authentically and in pursuit.
A manager is a person who has the authority of management towards an organization. A manager can be in charge of a department, a business or a whole company. Again, a manager is able to control people who work for him as well as making viable decisions on how things are suppose to work in an organization (Sack,149,). Management on the on the same refers to the administration of an organization, that is, a business, a non profit making organization or a government entity. Management functions is has a wide scope of activities as it includes setting the strategies of the whole organization and coordinating the efforts of employees or other volunteers so as to achieve the organizational mission using the available resources. A good manager should have technical skills to enable them accomplish their tasks. They should also have good communication skills so as to transfer information to others efficiently and effectively (Baffour, 133). Decision making skills will give them the ability to distinguish between positive decisions and the negative ones, and then select the positive ones. They should posses proper interpersonal skills and be good managers of time. Don't use plagiarised sources.Get your custom essay just from $11/page
Mitchell (649) defined the difference between a leader and a manager giving the following examples. To be a manager is a career, being a leader is a calling. This means, for one to become a leader, he/she must pass through training so as to get the basic skills of managing an organization. Its therefore termed as a career which one can pursue in the college so as to land in that position. On centrally, being a leader is a calling by the Supreme Being. This is because leaders are endowed with that veracity of realizing a crowd and making proper decisions for them. A manager must be obeyed whereas a leader is obeyed by people just at their own will. Manager’s positions are safeguarded by the law and that’s the reason as to why people must obey him/ her, or else attract the sanctions of the law (PETTINGER, 231). A leader is just followed by people from their own will because of his inborn ability to influence them. Leaders create vision while managers create goals of an organization. Leaders are change objects in an organization whereas managers aim at maintaining their status quo. Leaders take the risks which are likely to face an organization whereas leaders control such risks so as to prevent them from occurring in future. Leaders grow at personal level while managers rely on those skills which have been in existence. Leaders are known to coach, managers are always there to direct. Finally, leaders create fans while managers have employees following them. It’s therefore that good managers are not always good leaders.
Management theory.
Carmichael et al (337) argued that a management theory is a set of which sets the general rules on how organizations should be managed. It addresses the relationship of managers and supervisors with their organization in the manner on how the goals should be set and implemented. There are several theories of management but in this context, we are going to discuss the contemporary and the seminal theories of management which includes management by objectives, the classical theories of management, the behavioural theories and the contingency theory. From the contingency theory, Carmichael et al (342) argues that, when managers make decision on how an organization should be run, they must put in to consideration aspects which are evident in the present situation and then act on those situations that are currently at hand (Sack,152,). The same theory claims that there is no best way to organize a situation in leadership or even to make decisions and that, the optimal cause of an action by both leaders and managers depends on both internal and the external factors of an organization. A leader is termed as contingent if he/she is in a position to apply his own style to lead an organization. Carmichael et al (347) defined some contingencies for a company which includes the following: supplies of an organization, technology used by an organization, the customers and the government due to its involvement its involvement in business activities.
Another type of management theory is the classical management theory, which was formulated by Fredrick Taylor. This theory is based on a belief that workers are only faced with economic and physical needs but social needs and job satisfaction are not put in to consideration. The classical management theory advocates for specialization of labour in an organization, a central point leadership, centralized decision making and finally profit maximization as a tool for achieving organizational objectives. The strengths of this theory of management are that, it anticipates for a clear structure of management, its operations and functions. The theory encourages specialization and division of labour that that makes it easier for tasks to be accomplished in good time and this promotes productivity (Wakefield, 235). Finally, the classical theory of management defines clearly the various roles of employees which minimises guesswork to a great extend. The theory has faced some critiques from other classists. To begin with, it overlooks the human creativity and relations. It views workers as machines who are also considered to apply old fashioned skills to work in the manufacturing sectors, which is a deterrent to productivity. A behavioural theory urges that leaders are made but not born and that successful leadership is based on a learnable behaviour and judges leaders by what they do. Management by objective is a case whereby an organizational leader does their management work by setting up objectives which should be achieved for an organization to be successful (Wakefield, 239).
Management functions.
Management is an elaborate function which every leader should uphold so as to ensure that organizational objectives are attained. Some of the management functions which every leader should have are planning, organizing, controlling, coordinating and directing of activities in an organization (schedlitzki, 111). Good managers therefore learn on how to discover these functions. Planning refers to setting the goals of an organization and working on how such goals will be achieved. Managers should therefore set those goals which are in line with organization mission and objectives. They should aim at long-term goals rather than short term benefits. Organizing refers to putting the activities of an organization in a logical manner. It involves designing tasks to employees in terms of their skills to ensure that such tasks are performed well. Coordinating involves controlling all the other activities of an organization, including planning, controlling and staffing. It involves to a larger extend communication and supervision of employees. Controlling ensures that all the activities and functions are in place and are also performing successfully. Directing is the process by which a manager guides, gives instructions and oversees the performance of the employees so as to ensure organizational performance. It also includes building a climate for motivated workers. This has been put forward by (schedlitzki, 112).
Theories of leadership.
There various theories which have been developed on leadership. Some of them include the contingency theory, trait theory and the style theory. The trait theory believes that people and especially leaders are born or either made with some useful qualities that make them to be successful leaders. Such qualities include creativity, integrity; sense of responsibility and others usually puts a person in the shoes of a good leader (Slack et al 39). Such theories are however not more useful in selecting leaders. The contingency theory argues that, when leaders make decision on how an organization should be run, they must put in to consideration aspects which are evident in the present situation and then act on those situations that are currently at hand. It assumes that different situation in an organization will attract different characteristics of people and there is no most favourable and psychosomatic outline of a leader exists.
Transformational and Transactional Leadership
Afsar (24) defined transformational leadership as a leadership style which brings change in an organization. Transformational leaders are those kinds of leaders who are able to create a difference even in the presence of the audience. They are the leaders who are able to work with subordinates so as to identify the needed change in an organization and as a way of creating vision which guides a positive change in an organization (Hill et al, 274). It is therefore characterized by a leader taking visionary step and then inspires people on how to operate. Transactional leadership is a simple exchange between the leader of an organization and the subjects or followers. It focuses on transformations where a leader is free to transact with the workers and share valuable information. Action centered leadership on the other hand was proposed by John Adair and it’s a simple management leadership which makes it easy to remember, apply and make adaptations of one’s leadership. Finally, as I complete on leadership, it’s important to note that leaders use either hard or soft management skills. However, soft management skills are more useful because they call for teamwork, communication and flexibility among leaders. Hard skills make a leader to work as independent object and therefore this deters goal achievement (Nielsen, 39).
Differentiate between the role of a leader and the function of a manager
The role of a leader is different from the functions of a manager. The following are some of the roles of a leader.
He is a communicator
The leader uses all the levels of communication to reach out all the customers, staff, clients and other stakeholders who take part in the success of an organization. Leaders also encourage the exchange of information in all the sections of their organization. The communications can either be verbal or non-verbal and defines the vision and objectives of an organization. Good leaders select the most appropriate personal communication skills which are open, fair and honest so as to deal with different situations affecting the organization. Good leaders also have the art and skill of listening others even those with different views. They weigh them out and select the most appropriate decisions for organizational performance (Wakefield, 99)
A leader is a good thinker.
He understands how different functions of an organization work together and how their coordination may bring about success as well as how they respond to both external and changes and external changes of an organization. He is able to understand the SWOT analysis. He is in a position to understand both the strengths and weaknesses of an organization and the opportunities and threats facing them as well. He understands the relationship between the operational objectives and the strategic objectives of an organization. He is also able to do research in the market on the levels of competition and also be in a position to respond to the behaviour of the competitors so as to keep profit margins up (Wakefield, 107)
A leader is a decision maker.
A leader is always there to make viable decisions in all his/her leadership functions. All these decisions made affect the overall performance of an organization. Decisions are made on which competitive strategy an organization should adopt. A leader makes decisions also where there is an opposing idea by the employees during meetings. In a range of solutions, a leader chooses the right one which matches the organizational mission and goals. Finally, a leader has the role of ensuring that the made decisions are implemented (Nielsen, 39).
He is a team builder.
Since a leader works with a large pool of teams, he has to ensure that all these people are informed on the on all the organizational plans affecting them as well as the mannerisms on how they should do their jobs. Team building enables the member s to understand their roles and how they can effectively contribute towards the achievement of organizational goals (Nielsen, 39). A leader as an effective team builder empowers all the employees and advises them on how they can excel in their duties, in line with the mission of the organization.
A leader has the role of image building.
A leader builds an organizational image that supports the achievements of various professions and which supports the employees. He builds an organizational culture which in line with its mission and which can accommodate all the employees and other stakeholders even in the presence of their differences in religion and cultures as well (Carmichael et al 34). A leader also has the role of building the image of his/her organization to the outside world which might lead to a better performance by giving the company a better corporate image. All these are the roles of a leader which are different from the functions of a manager.
The functions of a manager.
A manager has the following functions which are different from those of a leader.
Planning.
This is the most primary function of a manager. It includes choosing the objectives of an organization, communication the objectives to various personnel and assembling the necessary resources which will be needed in the achievement of such set objectives (Hill et al, 274). Managers should therefore set those goals which are in line with organization mission and objectives. They should also aim at long-term goals rather than short term benefits. Planning also includes choosing of alternatives and employing them setting of organizational budgets, formulation of rules and policies, designing of a timetable and setting of performance standards.
Organizing
It is the responsibility of a manager to accumulate large pool of resources and dividing them accordingly. A manager should identify a course of action, divide the activities amongst employees, and assign various responsibilities which also includes delegation of duties to his/her employees (Hill et al, 74). Organizing ensures that all the activities and functions are in place and are also performing successfully
Leading
Is a management function of a manager where he sets rules and regulations of an organization, he also gives orders to the employees in various departments, guidance and counselling of employees to ensure that they are fit psychologically so that they can perform effectively, and finally directing the employees on the best methods of achieving the organizational objectives.
Controlling
It is an overall function which is captured in nearly all the other functions of the manager. It is aimed at ensuring that all the above functions of an employee are performed to the fullest. It is also at this stage of performance where a manager is required to test the performance of the employees (Wakefield, 86). Staffing is the last function of management which includes recruitment of employees after a gap has been identified in the organization.
Finally, the roles of a leader differ greatly to the functions of a manager. As stated earlier, Managers positions are safeguarded by the law and that’s the reason as to why people must obey him/ her, or else attracts the sanctions of the law. A leader is just followed by people from their own will because of his inborn ability to influence them. Leaders create vision while managers create goals of an organization. Leaders are change objects in an organization whereas managers aim at maintaining their status quo (Baffou, 290). Leaders take the risks which are likely to face an organization whereas leaders control such risks so as to prevent them from occurring in future. Leaders grow at personal level while managers rely on those skills which have been in existence. Leaders are known to coach, managers are always there to direct. Leaders create fans while managers have employees following them. It’s therefore that good managers are not always good leaders. To be a manager is a career, being a leader is a calling. This means, for one to become a leader, he/she must pass through training so as to get the basic skills of managing an organization. Its therefore termed as a career which one can pursue in the college so as to land in that position. On centrally, being a leader is a calling by the Supreme Being (Baffour, 90).
How situations affect the role of a leader and function of a manager.
The role of a leader and the functions of a manager can be influenced by different situations. To understand this, it’s important that we learn the situational leadership theory which influences all this (Afsar, 24). A situational leadership is the theory is built on situational leadership model which is based on the relationship between leaders and the followers. It states that, a leader cannot depend on just one style of management because it cannot fit all situations. It therefore puts it that leaders must be flexible in the leadership styles they are using for proper performance. The model places the roles of a leader in to four quadrants which includes supporting, couching, delegating and directing. Situations affect the role of a leader and functions of a manager in the following ways:
Situational factors affect organizational effectiveness. It therefore means that they not under leaders control of leaders. This means that the effectiveness of an organization depends on the situations in which leaders are working at (Baffou, 90). Situations shape the behavior of leaders. It is clear that people are usually affected by the environments in which they are living in as well as other characteristics which dispose them to some situations. Situations also influence the consequence of the behavior of a leader or a manger. If a leader is in a position to put pressure on his/her employees, his behavior will change significantly and he/she might become even violent. As far as the situational theory model is concerned, a leader is supposed be in a position to recognize different leadership styles which he can/she can apply so as to ensure the achievement of organizational goals. Both the manager and the leader should be open to the employees and be free also so as to learn from their mistakes (Sack, 149,).
The application of chaos theory and management by objectives
The chaos theory is a management model which calls for a leader to apply complex systems in management so as to achieve organizational goals. If the management is complex, then the leader is said to manage in chaos (Carmichael et al 34). A leader is therefore required to use his/her managerial skills to ensure that the business is not caught up in a challenging situation. This calls for the application of theoretical frame works toward management so as to solve such situations. The chaos theory is also applied in strategic management if a leader lacks the best theoretical tools to make predictions about the industry. It is also used in solving the chaotic behavior among employees, even their inability to be compatible with the current technology (Hill et al 232).
Management by objective (MBO) according to Carmichael et al (34), which is also known as the management by results (MBR) refers to the practice of the management of defining the specific objectives of an organization that management can freely pass to the members, then making decision on how to achieve such objectives in a sequential manner. It therefore gives managers the ability to plan for the completion of one activity at a time so as to give them enough time to rest. This will enable the employees also to see and monitor their accomplishments at a time which brings about a positive working environment. One importance of using MBO in an organization is that the manager cab measure and compares the actual performance of an employee to the set standards so as to decide on either to improve it or to maintain. The benefits of MBO are that, it brings about motivation due to the involvement of employees in the process of goal setting (Carmichael et al 65). It also promotes better communication and coordination of activities which brings about better relationships in an organization. MBO provides clarity of organizational goals and ensuring that then objectives of the objectives are linked to the organizational standards.
The role leaders and managers play in the operations function of an organization
Leaders and managers play a critical role in an organization. In order to understand such roles, it’s important to learn the different roles of management so as to capture the role which is played in each level. There are there levels of management, the top management level, the middle level managers and the lower level managers. The top level managers are the highest rank of management in the organization. They are responsible for planning and directing the activities of the whole organization (Wakefield, 107). The functions of the other levels depend on the top level. The middle level plays a critical role in the operation of an organization. They get the directives from the top level management and their main role is organizing and directing. The last level is the lower level of management which comprises of the supervisors and the main role of this level of management is controlling and directing the activities of an organization for the achievement of organizational goals. Since the operation functions of an organization are complex, both the leaders and managers also play the following roles:
Motivating the teams through provision of leadership and coaching. They take part in monitoring all the operational activities of an organization and reward those workers who are competed in their tasks as a tool for motivation. This stimulates the efforts of workers and improves the performance of an organization as a whole.
Leaders and managers indentify business priorities for continuous business improvement. They are keen to identify any error in the whole operation model and take correction measures. For the leaders and managers to monitor the whole process and detect any error in operation, they use fishbone diagrams, robust diagrams and quality circles (Slack et al, 20).
They encourage and reward that staffs who contribute viable ideas in the operation process. This is also a tool of motivation. Finally, leaders and managers have the duty and role of emphasizing or stressing on how the skills of employees should be improved.
Examples of operation functions of an organization includes control and distribution systems, taking part during the transformation of raw materials in to finished good, building and designing of processes, ensuring capacity management, control of inventory and monitoring the whole distribution and logistical activities as well as scheduling of activities to achieve a common goal. Leaders usually apply to the tool of total quality management (TQM) to ensure productivity (Baffou, 87) Total quality management refers to the act where during operation; an organization ensures monitoring of all activities in the whole operational process. This will contribute to the fact that customers will get maximum satisfaction and obtain quality of their money.
The relationship between leadership and management in a contemporary business environment
According to (schedlitzki, 165), contemporary business environment refers to that environment which is composed of a changing economical, social and political forces and which have a major impact on the external environment. This therefore calls for the business to adjust to the changing environment so as to maintain its position in the market. The contemporary business environment is composed of both external and internal environment. The internal business environment is also known as the micro environment and it comprises of the internal factors of an organization and how they affect the organization. The factor of internal business environment includes:
The business resources: these are the possessions by the business and which are used in the achievement of the set goals. These resources can be human resources, manmade resources, financial resources and economic resources. Human resources include the human efforts needed in the operation of an organization. The main examples of human resources are the employees who take part in the operations activities of an organization. The role of both the leadership and management is relating. They take part in ensuring that such resources are available in an organization and that they are taken care of.
The external environment also constitutes the contemporary business environment. It is also known as the macro environment and it includes issues of economy, demography, legal political and the technological environment. (schedlitzki, 167) They are the factors that affect the operation of an organization and are outside the business. Leaders and managers should therefore make sure that such factors of the external environment are safeguarded. In the contemporary business environment, the other relationship between leadership and management is that, both are involved in strategic planning to ensure the success of the business. They take part in transforming the business so that it can keep in phase with the changing environment.
Corporate social responsibility; culture, values, ethics and sustainability.
There is a clear relationship between leadership style and corporate social responsibility (CSR). CSR therefore defines the role and obligation that an organization should play in the outside environment, or rather to the society. An organization should ensure that the product which it’s dealing with are fit for use by the customers, leaders have a certain role to play in the corporate social responsibility which includes setting a culture for CSR by: aligning the goals of the employees with those of the CSR (Carmichael et al 61). When assigning the employees their own goals which they are supposed to perform, it’s important to consider that they are embedded to those of CSR. Leaders should also regularly communicate about the organizational CRS goals to all the employees so that they can work towards achieving them. They monitor the CRS processes and the rules governing it as well as rewarding those who are actively taking part in the contribution towards the corporate social responsibility.
According to Marquis (2015), ethics is defined as a branch of philosophy that in a systematic way recommends and defends the concept of either right or wrong in terms of an individual character. Ethics tries to define the best way in which people should live so as to satisfy their quest for happiness (Slack et al, 24). It answers questions pertaining the actions of individuals which are thought to be either bad or good in a particular circumstance. Human ideas are diversified and therefore some actions can be good to attract happiness in life while others are evil to attract sadness. Ethics is therefore concerned with all these elements of human life. It is hence a branch of philosophy that addresses the concept of human morality. All the employees should be ethical and do their activities in an ethical way. Leaders and managers should therefore ensure that all employees stick to ethical standards (Wakefield, 249). Leaders should also formulate a good organizational culture which is in line with the organization mission.
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