Managemnet Vs Leadership

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Leadership can be defined as the ability to direct the operations, activity, or performance of others. A leader is an individual who leads, guides or inspires others. A leader is someone who will take charge of a group or be vocal amongst others. However, to be a leader, one must not only have the ability to take charge or be vocal, but also must have the respect of others in the group, team, or organization. With leadership, perception is the better part of reality: Being a good leader may be difficult if followers do not perceive the individual as one (Altar 2006). A leader must know what his or her followers think. Most important leaders will say that leadership ability is the single most important personal attribute that one needs to succeed.

Leadership has many facets to its name. Some of the most important leadership skills are communication and relationship building. One trait that is not characteristic of a good leader is dominance. When a leader tries to dictate, they will lose respect from others. A commanding style of leadership in not recommended, but rather have one who can win hearts and minds. In the present, many organizations are putting their employees through different leadership development programs. "Companies with effective processes for assessing individual leadership development needs were significantly more likely to have recorded an increase in sales and net income between 2003 and 2004" (Switzerland 2006). Leadership has become such a critical aspect to organizations that universities are starting to open leadership schools. People are now offered leadership as a major at some colleges and universities.

Management can be defined as the ability to handle or direct with a degree of skill, to make and keep compliant, to treat with care, and to exercise executive, administrative, and supervisory direction of a business (Kinnes 2004). Effective business skills are imperative to provide the best quality service to people. Typically, companies focus on profit, market share or growth, but in order to maintain productivity, first-class management skills are essential. Management skills are not easy to come across, as they are hard to learn and quantify. Most managers come from within an organization, as it is imperative to send employees through management skills courses.

Leadership and management have many similarities. Most of the time, leaders hold some kind of management position within the company. Most executives gauge a manager's success by numbers.

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