Maintaining Order and Driving Change

The Difference Between Managing and Leading  

Chloe Walsh - BUSM 2011 Summer 2024 - Dr. Al Pisano - June 19, 2024

    

Before this course, management and leadership seemed very similar to me. They both seemed like roles that require discipline and teamwork. While I do believe that they have both traits, they exhibit them in different ways. Managing diverse teams in the workplace is one of the most crucial points of running the workplace. Managers’ goals are built from needs not desires, and leaders' goals are built from personal attitudes (Zaleznik, 2004). Managers in an organization are placed to maintain control within the organization and not be individual leaders. Managers focus on keeping up with the original ways of the business. This does require discipline from managers to instill these rules within the workplace. Leaders are built to change and develop within the organization, creating more autonomy and creativity. This also seeks discipline from the leader since it is a lot of work when trying to implement new goals in an environment. 

Managers do focus on different processes that help them reach their goals and help the organization flow. When an organization is having issues within, whether it is a conflict between two people or a major issue, managers will approach the situation with negotiating and bargaining (Zaleznik, 2004). This way they can problem solve and make compromises based on the situation at hand. This inspires organizational efficiency because it makes sure that everyone is being heard and respected. Therefore, it will not lead team members to spiral and feel neglected in a situation. Managers will also focus on consistency within an organization to see when the organization will face issues (Zaleznik, 2004). Trying to understand when the organization could face a hit or have a hostile environment will take consistency within the organization and its data. Managers will also set short-term goals in order to build continued improvement within the organization. 

Leaders on the other hand emphasize vision and change to drive innovation and transformation. A vision is very different from short-term goals. With a vision team members are able to see beyond a short time frame and work towards more. This way it inspires teams to achieve more long-term objectives instead of smaller goals. This also fosters more creativity within the organization since people are able to reach beyond that goal. Leaders also emphasize change as innovative and transformative instead of new and scary, leading team members to be more open to it (Zaleznik, 2004).

Roles and Responsibilities

    The practical implications of the distinctions between leadership and management in a 

business setting are profound. Leaders showcase different visions for team members to create 

an inspiring environment, while managers focus on day-to-day planning to make sure team 

members are getting work done. Managers handle these operations and set priorities by being 

very organized and using delegation (Martins, 2024). When managers find a job that needs to 

be done they will most likely find the correct person who would be exceptional at completing it. 

Organizational tools help them make sure tasks are completed efficiently and operations are 

being scheduled. Leaders inspire and motivate their teams by sharing their enthusiasm and 

excitement about different projects of the organization (Martins, 2024). They foster a shared 

vision by guiding and mentoring these members to create a shared vision and drive toward 

goals. 

The Importance of Diversity

    Valuing diversity enhances leadership and management effectiveness because when many

members have diverse backgrounds and views there is room for more innovative creativity. 

Diverse teams can outperform homogenous ones to drive innovation because instead of 

everyone from the same background who might have similar experiences and answers, it is 

beneficial to have a diverse group of people with different skills and knowledge (Cooks-

Campbell, 2023). This would provide a more creative, diverse, and enhanced work 

environment. Understanding the role of diversity is crucial for business students because being 

closed-minded in any aspect of life regarding diversity and different backgrounds will stunt you 

in life. This closed mindset will not only prevent you from getting better job opportunities, but it 

will also not allow you to build and foster important relationships and connections. These 

insights can impact organizational success and personal career development because having a 

diverse team allows for new successes and being able to learn and grow from new opinions 

you never heard before. There is a need for future leaders and managers to be inclusive and be 

able to leverage diversity to foster new ideas and enhance their performance levels overall. 

  Inspiration and Motivation

 Some key strategies of how leaders can inspire and motivate others are to be clear when 

giving direction to team members even in fast-paced situations and changes (Holbeche, 2023).

These leaders will also make sure to check on their employees on how their lives and mental 

health are, this fosters a strong connection between them. They will also inspire employees to 

have their own voice, they will feel more comfortable doing this because trust is very important 

in this environment. Leaders also understand that they are not perfect and that they are 

learners themselves as well (Holbeche, 2023). There is such an importance of setting a vision 

to these team members so that they do not feel lost in their work. This also inspires them 

to think creatively and not go off of specific step by step instructions. Leading by example 

and engaging with team members is also extremely important because it showcases how 

they should act and how they can be one day. It also allows them to trust and build 

connections. One example of effective motivational techniques used by successful leaders 

is that being comfortable with who you are is one of the most crucial pieces of advice for 

this role (Holbeche, 2023). If you are not comfortable with who you are, your motives, and 

your creative decisions it is difficult to find other people who will follow your lead. 

Confidence in this role is key. These strategies can be applied in my future career to 

enhance team performance by making sure I am comfortable with myself enough to feel 

confident in my decision-making. 

    Personal Reflection

    One personal experience that I have observed effective management and leadership in 

a diverse environment was when my manager of a retail store decided to have the whole 

group of team members introduce themselves to me, a new employee, at once. I have had 

teams where I have not been introduced and I have had to introduce myself. This is a fine 

way to enter a new workplace, but the welcoming environment that my manager made for 

me when I joined helped me build more connections and made me feel comfortable. This 

allowed me to put my trust, not only in my manager but also all of my coworkers around me. 

I learned that taking just a small amount of time to show someone in the workplace you 

care, can make a long and lasting impact for the rest of the experience there. This aligns 

with the insights taken from the readings because my manager showcased direction, trust, 

and leadership within her role. She allowed me to be more motivated to build connections 

with this diverse group. The impact of this diverse environment made learning from these 

coworkers insightful and exciting, as well. 

 Wrapping Up  

    Overall, I have learned that leadership and management can have two completely 

different roles, but they can also overlap. I understand the importance of a strong leader 

and an organized manager. Leadership can affect how employees' day-to-day lives happen

in the workplace and a trusting environment is key. I plan to apply these insights to my 

career by making sure I build connections within my group, and am strong in my 

decision-making, and understand how diversity is more creative and effective. These 

insights will help keep my team motivated and connected.