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What is the distinguishing characteristic between management and leadership? Are they mutually exclusive from each other? The distinction between management and leadership has often been based on viewing management as “doing things right” whereas leadership is seen as “doing the right things”. Management is often described as a mechanical and administrative activity, whereas leadership is viewed as involving change and developing more effective organizations. Managers are often viewed as applicants of rational problem solving, sometimes referred to as “organizational engineers” who use objective technical criteria to achieve well-known goals. Leadership however, is viewed as the process of creating a social organism or “living enterprise” that is active, capable of changing, and responsive to the environment.
Each of these views is incomplete in its description of the management/leadership role in real organizations. Each perspective emphasizes certain aspects of the management/leadership role while ignoring other interpretations. These incomplete views have inhibited our ability to understand the increasingly complex management/leadership process.
Today’s complex organizations and increasingly complicated environments require a more well-rounded view of the management/leadership process. The process must include rational analysis and problem solving while also encouraging organizational growth, identification of environmental niches, and development of a mission to guide the organization to adapting to its surroundings. In modern organizations, management and leadership roles are seldom separable. At times a manager/leader must attend to mundane administrative matters, such as modifying rules and regulations, allocating resources, and assigning tasks. Here the individual is generally viewed as managing. At other times, the same person may need to charge up followers, creating commitment, inspiration, growth, and adaptation. Here the individual is clearly exerting leadership. We must acknowledge that management and leadership are closely related and that quite often, regardless of whether the individual serves as a manager or leader, they usually perform both activities. It therefore is not realistic to separate management activities from leadership activities when both are designed to influence followers to accomplish goals.
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