Concepts, similarities and differences between leadership and management

Concept and features of leadership

Leadership is a complex, multidimensional category.
In a general sense, it is usually understood as the position of a certain individual in a group, which gives the person occupying it the opportunity to influence individual people, directing their efforts in the right direction. In the field of management and management, leadership is understood as the ability of an individual to form a team and lead it to its intended goals on the basis of personal authority. Definition 1

A leader is a person who motivates his followers to achieve their goals and makes every effort to achieve this.

The phenomenon of leadership itself has a dual nature. On the one hand, it is based on the sphere of relations, and on the other, on the business sphere (Figure 1). Together they form two types of leadership:

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• informal leadership;
• formal leadership.

Figure 1. Areas of leadership in an organization. Author24 - online exchange of student work

Both areas of leadership are inseparable from each other, as are the socio-economic and organizational and technical aspects of management.

Formal leadership is more associated with the concept of management. Informal leadership is determined by personal and situational factors.

Basic qualities

The psychology of a leader is based on a special worldview, the ability to uniquely perceive reality and one’s own capabilities. The leader knows how to be self-possessed, internally and externally calm even in critical situations.

Among the special qualities of a leader are the following characteristics:

1. The ability to go towards the goal regardless of the circumstances, not to stop halfway, not to give up when difficulties or obstacles arise. A leader is distinguished by a strong desire to achieve a goal and perseverance. His motivation is so strong that it is difficult to stop him. In the absence of incentives, the leader will remain inactive, but will try to find a motivating factor - internal or external. The desire to manage is supported by the readiness to move towards the ultimate goal.
2. The presence of intelligence, which is manifested in the desire and ability to accumulate the necessary information, analyze it, and apply it to develop solutions and self-development. The leader does not stop there, he is ready to hone his leadership qualities. Leaders are in constant search, they increase their level of knowledge, and become interested in a completely new field of knowledge and activity. You should not limit yourself to a specific professional or subject area. A larger amount of knowledge provides an effective basis for development.
3. Belief in your own abilities and capabilities. Such confidence is a reliable basis for the formation of a leader. Only self-confident individuals can lead and inspire other people. The absence of this quality does not allow one to decide to make an important and responsible decision. People who are weak in this regard will look for excuses or shift the decision to others. A long search for advisers or justifications for one’s actions takes up scarce time and does not allow one to take the necessary timely step. Thinking through the situation is important, but you need to do it as quickly as possible and choose a profitable project without hesitation.
4. Strength to make important decisions on your own or with the help of others. This decision will not be spontaneous. It is based on a deep analysis of information about the situation, careful consideration of strategy and tactics. As a result of the work done, a positive result-oriented decision is made.
5. A leader does not act alone; he has the opportunity to rely on a team of like-minded people who are closely united by common goals and rules. He is able to convince others, distribute powers and responsibilities, and create a well-functioning functioning mechanism.
6. Having character, the ability to advance your point of view, despite resistance. A leader acts in situations where others give up. He is capable of being tough and managing a team, making unpopular decisions when necessary. However, its severity is combined with justice, respect for the rights and dignity of members of society.
7. Ability to accept changes. Leadership means the ability to change behavior, strategy, tactics depending on changes.

Essence, goals and objectives of management

In a general sense, management is understood as a process directly related to the management and control of the activities of an organization or group of individuals. In relation to the field of management, it is usually identified with a mechanism that directs the efforts of a team and/or an individual to accomplish common tasks. It is believed to motivate people to achieve their goals by influencing their needs.

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Coursework Leadership and management 430 ₽ Essay Leadership and management 260 ₽ Test paper Leadership and management 210 ₽

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Definition 2

A manager is a person who is officially vested with the right to make management decisions. As a rule, he acts as a sole commander within the limits of the powers delegated to him.

To a large extent, leadership is identified with management or management. Its distinctive features are its formalized nature. The main features of a leader that characterize his essence include:

• bearing responsibility for a specific business object, process or program;
• presence of a subordinate group of persons;
• vesting with the necessary rights and powers to make management decisions;
• accepting responsibility for the consequences of implementing independently made management decisions.

The functions of leadership are reduced to the functions of management. The main ones are planning, organization, control and motivation. The purpose and essence of leadership boils down to the formation of goals and their effective achievement.

How to make a child a leader

Leadership qualities begin to manifest themselves in childhood. Therefore, you can help your child acquire them, relying on the advice of psychologists:

• Allow yourself to make your own mistakes. The child must gain experience, learn to make decisions independently, and see a way out of difficult situations. Therefore, it is important not to offer him ready-made answers. If his parents decide everything for him, then in adult life he will remain a follower and will not be able to inspire the team;
• Support the child, praise, do not criticize over trifles, do not compare with others. Adequate self-esteem will help maintain self-confidence;
• Learn to lose. This will be helped by participation in mass games and competitions. A person should not lose heart after failures. It is necessary to perceive defeats as the beginning of a new stage, and not a reason for frustration;
• Talk about responsibility. The child must understand that a lot depends on his actions. Ignoring responsibilities leads to problems. For example, if a child spends the money given not on food, but on toys, the family will be left without dinner;
• Develop critical and logical thinking so that the child can draw conclusions by summarizing available data and turning to life experience, building cause-and-effect relationships.

Child leader

Scientific approaches in management psychology

Since the 50s last century, thanks to the development of cybernetics, systems theory, computerization of management and other innovations, several approaches in the field of management psychology emerged. These are:

Systems approach . Its supporters consider the focus on only one side of management to be a flaw in previous theories. The use of this approach allows management to see the entire organization in the unity and interdependence of all its elements. It is understood that any organization or other controlled social group is a system that, like a living organism, functions only under the condition of the interdependence of all its “organs.” This means that each such “organ” makes a necessary contribution to the life of the entire “organism”. An organization is an open system that interacts with the external environment, which greatly influences the survival of an enterprise (division, etc. of a social group).

The situational approach (since the early 70s of the 20th century) put forward the theory of the equal use of all management systems - from strictly regulated to those based on relative internal freedom. The choice of system depends on the circumstances that affect the operation of the organization in a given period of time. The essence of the approach comes down to two theses :

• lack of a universal recipe for effective management in all cases;
• a direct relationship between the level of management efficiency, mobility and adaptability to the environment or situation in which the organization is located.

The empirical, or pragmatic, approach , which was based on the study of the sphere of management of firms and military institutions, began to actively disseminate the acquired knowledge. Proponents of the approach understood that management theory was important and necessary, but they argued that practical management skills were of greater benefit. After analyzing management experience, they developed special management training methodologies based on certain situations. Representatives of this approach, who especially strongly influenced the dissemination of the concepts of “manager” and “management”, promoted the idea of ​​mandatory professionalization of management, i.e. turning it into a separate profession.

The quantitative approach has developed management techniques on the basis of mathematical, cybernetic, statistical knowledge obtained as a result of the latest achievements of science and technology, thanks to the development of computerization, which has largely freed management work from routine technical procedures.

This approach made a significant contribution to the development of the following concepts :

• the concept of operational management (about the requirements for a manager not only as a holder of knowledge of management theory, but also as an expert in mathematics, sociology, psychology, economics, systems theory, etc.);
• the concept of management decisions (states that a manager, first of all, must be able to make informed, most effective decisions; management training should be reduced to acquiring this quality);
• the concept of scientific or mathematical management (believes that the current state of affairs in the world suggests that management should be supported by the achievements of science; this is achieved by using mathematical models and theories).

The most common approaches have become quantitative and statistical [6, p. 7].

Throughout the 20th century, management psychology increasingly acquired the features of complex scientific knowledge, and today it has been able to take shape in the form of a rich theoretical base that has included in its arsenal of knowledge the experience of a wide range of other sciences. This direction, like psychology in general, is characterized by such a feature as pluralism of views on the subject being studied, which is clearly seen in the example of the diversity of scientific approaches. However, it is difficult to argue with the statement that the truth lies somewhere in the middle.

Comparison table

The main differences between a manager and a leader can be seen in the table.

Characteristics of a leader

So, a good leader should be:

• a manager who skillfully uses available powers;
• a leader who can captivate;
• a diplomat who competently builds relationships with partners, colleagues and subordinates;
• an innovator, capable of correctly using modern trends and trends;
• a mentor who helps to cope with complex, confusing situations;
• a wise personality with extraordinary abilities, strong will, determination, prudence, and so on.

The success of the entire team will certainly depend on the style of work with subordinates chosen by the leader. Let's say that a favorable environment increases the quality and effectiveness of the group. As a rule, those bosses who have managed to build strong, healthy relationships in their teams achieve greater success. What rules will help a manager establish an effective work process and good relationships with his team? Let's list some.