Management & Leadership - Essay Example

Management & Leadership Effective management and leadership styles selected by organizations have a great impact on morale and job satisfaction of employees, their commitment and corporate culture. It is possible to say that all leaders are good managers who able to coordinate resources and introduce change. On the other hand, not all managers are good leaders. The main functions of managers include planning, organizing, directing, coordination and control. The role of the managers is to coordinate and execute the productive functions by engaging in certain basic managerial functions.

In reality, the productive functions and the managerial functions are closely and intricately interwoven, with the conscious or unconscious aim of coordinating human effort and material resources toward the achievement of organizational objectives. In contrast to managers, the main quality of a leader is to guide employees, predict and eliminate possible dangers, create a strategic vision of company's growth and development. Leaders should be able to access critically the situation and rely on employee strengths, be inspirational and has a good technical competence (Northouse 2006).

In contrast to leaders, managers plan organizational processes according to objectives and the policies initiated by leaders. They develop programs, schedules, procedures, and methods for achieving them. Thus, planning is essentially decision making since it involves choosing among alternatives, and it also encompasses innovation. Every leader creates unique leadership style based on his personal characteristics, traditions and traits. In contrast, managers do not have a unique style of management but follow standardized rules and procedures determined by hierarchical relations and organizational structure.

Their task is to measure and correct activities of subordinates to assure the accomplishment of plans. It involves the establishment of control standards and the gathering of information required for evaluating performance, and it forms the basis for subsequent planning. In contrast, leadership is a philosophy which involves values and morals, cultural preferences and traditions of a person (Northouse 2006). The main theories of leadership are trait, contingency, situational, transformational, participative, management and behavioral theories.

Also, researchers identify authoritarian, democratic and liberal leadership styles. Today, the most popular approaches to leadership are situational and transformational ones. These styles allow a person to adapt to changes and respond to new economic and social conditions. Using the situational approach "leaders [can] choose the best course of action based upon situational variable" (Wagner 2007). Transformational approach helps to "focus upon the connections formed between leaders and followers.

These leaders motivate and inspire people by helping group members see the importance and higher good of the task" (Wagner 2007). All theories mentioned above have some advantages and limitations, so modern leaders have to choose between alternative and create a unique leadership style which meets personal traits and organizational objectives. It balances book knowledge about the corporation with working knowledge of the work being done.A good leader should have the following qualities: good communication skills and honesty, ability to motive and inspire employees, sound professional skills and competence, consistency and impartiality.

Preparation for leadership excellence asks leaders to be political, to be sensitive to the feelings of others and to care about their followers as human beings. Leaders who focus too much on traditional managerial goals of tight control will fall short of attainable high-quality performance and can expect failure, even destruction. As a leader I am objective and honest. I have good communication skills and strategic vision. Courtesy allows me to persuade people and help them to solve daily problems.

I suppose that actions are more important than words, so I always try to fulfill my obligations and promises. Leadership is partly about transforming the leader's virtual environment, partly about changing the perceptions of followers and partly about transforming the common culture. Excellence should be a part of effective leadership and corporate culture. References1. Northouse, P.G. (2006). Leadership: Theory and Practice. Sage Publications. 2. Wagner, K. Leadership Theories. Retrieved 18 March 2007 from http://psychology.about.com/od/leadership/p/leadtheories.htm