We often hear about leadership failures in organizations. There may be several reasons for such failures. In an organization, leadership is the first element whereas management comes as the second aspect. Management is the bottom-line focus whereas leadership always deals with the top line approach.
In fact, looking at many changes in different fields, we must require leadership and management to cope with new challenges. Otherwise, it’s hard to achieve our goals. In the words of both Peter Drucker and Warren Bennis, “Management is doing things right; leadership is doing the right things.” Management is efficiency in climbing the ladder of success; leadership determines whether the ladder is leaning against the right wall.
Great Leadership: A Road Less Traveled
By precisely understanding these two definitions between management and leadership, one can apply a set of principles and practices, which should be benefited in their organizations in a holistic approach. Of course, the managers are writing policy and procedure manuals, holding development programs, bringing in improved technologies and setting up working schedules. These are some core areas where managers should be engaged themselves at the time when they are working.
However, the market is changing so rapidly that many products and services that successfully met consumer tastes and needs a few years ago are obsolete today. Hence, proactive powerful leadership must constantly monitor environmental change, particularly customer buying habits and motives, and provide the force necessary to organize resources in the right direction. Similarly, if industries do not monitor the environment, including their own work teams, and exercise the creative leadership to keep headed in the right direction, no amount of management expertise can keep them from failing. Today, our whole business is different. We are more in line with our environment. We have doubled our revenues and multiplied our profits by developing the finest leadership in the organization.
All in all, what I am trying to say is that good leadership and good management practice should have positive results in any field rather than being stuck in the blame-game, where politics is the main villain, like we always normally do.
Wagle is currently pursuing his MBA degree at Charotar University of Science and Technology in Gujarat, India.
