Leadership

Leadership & Management

There are many people who get confused between leadership and management as they both have many differences even though they might sound similar. A Leader is there to motivate his group or follow them by inspiring them and encouraging them with their job and they also generate ideas towards the business or organisation. The leaders job is to guide an individual or as a group toward the success. They main Duties are to motivate & inspire, establish a direction, encourage change, align people with a vision, etc. (Kottor, 1990).

Whereas a mangers role is to plan well before he or she gets the job done on time or as soon as possible and also solving issues concerning in a business or organisation. The manager is also responsible to supervise employees as well as should be aware of what is happening at present. Their main duties are to control &  solve problems, plan budget, organise things and encourage order and predictability (Kotter, 1990). 

“Management can be taught. Leadership cannot be taught or learned, it must be earned.” (http://www.thepracticeofleadership.net/2008/06/08/the-essential-difference-between-leadership-and-management/)

Managerial Grid by Blake and Mouton

Leadership and Management’s difference can be seen on the managerial grid, which was created by Blake and Mouton in 1964. The different styles of management have been identified on the managerial grid, which makes it easier for people to understand. This grid is based on two behavioural dimensions which are as follows

§   Concern for people- For which the leaders considers the need of team members and their interests, in order to develop when it comes to deciding how to complete a set task. 

§   Concern for production- Here the leader highlights concrete objectives, in order to complete a task successful and being organised to help the firm or organisation increase its profit and sales.

This table as you can see shows a range of managing styles, which was created by Blake and Mouton. This table is being used by identifying the concern for production and concerning for people. Leadership is based on two different behavioural features which can be shown on the grid.

§   Impoverished- being on this part of the grid shows that there is less or even very little concern for both production as well as people. This shows that there isn’t any sort of commitment towards it. This usually happens when the leader is inactive and therefore isn’t able to motivate the team to success. 

§   Country Club- this part of the grid shows that there is a higher concern for people, but therefore very little concern for production. These sort of Leaders Just care about the happiness and satisfying of the team.

§   Middle of the Road- The leader who is middle of the road shows that he wants to be on the safe side. This shows that the leader concerns both part equally.

§  Produce or Perish- however being on this part of the grid shows that the leader is more concern about the production and being extremely not concerned about people. These sorts of leaders are strict and believe discipline is important to success.

§   Team Leader- now this is the leader who achieves the highest as he is concerned a lot on both production as well as in people. This shows that the team work has been motivated (MindTools, No Date)


Co-Operative
I believe in Co-operative, being a sale assistant that the manager was only around the range of middle of the road if possible even below that. this is because the managers have been changing few times and the latest manager, he is totally new to Co-operative and doesn't motivate us in any sort of way, because he needed training himself. He wasn't able to work hard as we did or wasn't even able to organise or sort problems out. This used to be pretty annoying, because some other colleagues took that as an advantage and drop back with their work, whereas they used to be hard working. This is since the Manager wasn't able to manage and organise in a way that everyone did equal work. Therefore I would place him in the middle of the road on the grid.

Michael Jackson
I believe Michael Jackson was a great leader, because he has touched so man people or fans with his songs all over the world. He was not an actual leader directly to anyone guiding, but he was inside many people's hearts and I believe he was a great leader He changed the way music industry looked, sounded and felt to us and also inspired us into dance. He showed us the culture of music to us and I believe he has inspired us with his life. Michael Jackson had masses of followers all over  world. Even in the next Generations, Michael Jackson will be the leader.

Conclusion
Overall I enjoyed the topic leadership, as I am now able to identify the difference between management and leadership without struggling. Again I got to say that Michael Jackson was a true leader, with which ha inspired music culture to us people. A Leader's aim is to motivate, inspire and also lead, which Michael Jackson did.




Reference:


Anon. (No Date). Blake Mouton Managerial Grid. Available: http://www. mindtools.com/pages/articles/newLDR_73.htm. Last accessed 17th Jan 2011.

Bea Fields (2009). Michael Jackson: The King of Pop But Also A Global Leader. Available: http://beafields,com/2009/06/michael-jackson-the-king-of-pop-but-also-a-global-leader/. Last accessed 17th Jan 2011.

GEORGE AMBLER. (2008). The essential difference between Leadership and Management. Available:http://www.thepracticeofleadership.net/2008/06/08/the-essential-diffenece-beween-leadership-and-management/. Last accessed 17th Jan 2011