Management versus leadership qualities

Abstract

This article will focus on differentiating what makes a leader and a manager, and how these qualities might differ when looking at the very top of an organisation compared to lower levels, as suggested by Peter Farey . It is known that managers tend to seek control of the situation, avoid instability and resolve issues in the quickest manner possible. On the other hand, leaders are more inclined to allow chaos and uncertain situations in favour of getting a better understanding of the problem and gain helpful insights. Management focuses on planning and building, whether as leadership strives to give direction and inspiring . But can these two profiles be fulfilled by the same individual , and can we see different answers to that question when looking at a high ranking managers compared to mid-to-low level employees? These cases among others will be explored in the following page.

Managers and leaders: Are They Different?

This section will talk about Abraham Zaleznik's award winning article for the Harvard Business Review named Managers and leaders: Are They Different?. The article is structured into different topics in which the author shows the different traits that characterize each of the roles for said topic. These will be discussed separately in order to gain view on speific diferences that might suit one or other role in a given situation.

Leadership inevitably requires using power to influence the thoughts and actions of other people.

Attitudes Toward Goals

The way that goals are viewed differs greatly depending on your values and background, this can clearly be seen in the way that Zaleznik portraits them.

Managers

It is a natural tendency for a manager to seek rationality and control. His primary focus is that of getting things done. As a problem solver by nature, managers want tasks to be done for the greater good of the organisation it belongs to.