Introduction
Leadership and management are two distinct yet interrelated concepts often encountered in organisational and personal contexts. While leadership typically involves inspiring and guiding others towards a shared vision, management focuses on planning, organising, and ensuring operational efficiency (Northouse, 2021). Drawing on the principles learned in this module on Leadership Principles, this essay aims to identify and analyse two individuals from my personal experience who exemplify either leadership or management behaviours predominantly. The first individual is a former colleague who displayed strong leadership traits in an informal capacity, while the second is myself, reflecting on my own tendencies towards management behaviours in a student group project setting. Through a critical analysis informed by academic literature, this essay will explore how these behaviours manifest, their implications, and the broader relevance of distinguishing between leadership and management in real-world scenarios. The discussion will also highlight the limitations of categorising individuals strictly into one domain, acknowledging the overlap between these roles.
Leadership Behaviours: A Colleague’s Influence
The first individual I identify as possessing primarily leadership behaviours is a former colleague, whom I shall refer to as Sarah, from a part-time job at a local café. Although her formal role was that of a shift supervisor, her approach transcended mere operational oversight, embodying key leadership traits as outlined by Yukl (2013), such as vision-setting and motivational influence. Sarah consistently inspired the team to improve customer service not through strict directives, but by fostering a shared sense of purpose. For instance, during a particularly busy period, she encouraged us to view challenges as opportunities to enhance teamwork, often sharing personal anecdotes of overcoming similar obstacles. This aligns closely with transformational leadership theory, which emphasises the leader’s role in motivating followers to exceed their own expectations (Bass, 1990).
Moreover, Sarah demonstrated emotional intelligence—a critical leadership attribute discussed by Goleman (1995)—through her ability to empathise with team members’ personal struggles, thereby building trust. On several occasions, she adjusted schedules to accommodate our needs without compromising service quality, a testament to her adaptive leadership style (Heifetz, 1994). However, while her leadership behaviours were evident, they were not without limitations. Her focus on inspiration sometimes led to oversight of logistical details, such as inventory shortages, suggesting that leadership without sufficient management support can hinder overall effectiveness. This observation underscores the relevance of balancing leadership with managerial skills, a point I will revisit later.
Management Behaviours: A Personal Reflection
In contrast to Sarah’s leadership-oriented approach, I recognise my own behaviours as predominantly managerial, particularly during a recent university group project. Tasked with coordinating a team of five to deliver a presentation on sustainable business practices, my focus was on structure, deadlines, and resource allocation—hallmarks of management as defined by Mintzberg (1973), who describes managerial roles as centred on planning and monitoring. I created detailed timelines, assigned specific tasks to each member, and regularly checked progress through group updates. This structured approach ensured that we met all deadlines and delivered a cohesive presentation, reflecting Fayol’s (1916) classical management principles of planning and organising (cited in Robbins and Coulter, 2021).
While effective in maintaining order, my managerial focus had its drawbacks. I arguably neglected the inspirational or visionary aspects of leadership, which could have further motivated the team to innovate beyond the basic requirements. Reflecting on feedback from peers, one member noted that while the project was well-executed, they felt a lack of enthusiasm or shared purpose. This mirrors Northouse’s (2021) assertion that management without leadership can lead to efficiency at the expense of engagement. Thus, my experience highlights the limitation of a solely managerial mindset, prompting me to consider how I might integrate leadership behaviours in future collaborations. Indeed, personal growth in this area could involve adopting some of Sarah’s emotional intelligence or vision-setting techniques to complement my existing strengths.
Differentiating Leadership and Management: Theoretical Insights
The examples of Sarah and myself illustrate the practical distinctions between leadership and management, which are well-documented in academic literature. Kotter (1990) argues that leadership is about coping with change through vision and direction, while management deals with complexity through order and consistency. Sarah’s ability to rally the team during challenging times reflects Kotter’s leadership paradigm, as she provided direction and motivation. Conversely, my emphasis on timelines and task allocation aligns with managerial functions aimed at reducing complexity in a group setting. However, as both examples demonstrate, neither approach is without flaws when applied in isolation, supporting the view that effective organisational roles often require a blend of both (Yukl, 2013).
Furthermore, contextual factors play a significant role in determining whether leadership or management behaviours dominate. For instance, Sarah’s informal leadership emerged naturally within a small, close-knit team, whereas my managerial tendencies were shaped by the structured demands of an academic project. This suggests that behaviours are not fixed but adaptable to circumstances, a perspective reinforced by contingency theories of leadership, which argue that effectiveness depends on situational variables (Fiedler, 1967). Therefore, while it is useful to categorise individuals as primarily leaders or managers for analytical purposes, such categorisation must acknowledge fluidity and overlap.
Conclusion
In conclusion, this essay has explored leadership and management behaviours through personal experiences, identifying a former colleague, Sarah, as embodying leadership through her inspirational and empathetic approach, and myself as exhibiting management traits through a focus on structure and efficiency in a group project. Drawing on theories such as transformational leadership (Bass, 1990) and classical management principles (Robbins and Coulter, 2021), the analysis highlights the strengths and limitations of each approach. Sarah’s leadership fostered team morale but sometimes neglected practical details, while my managerial focus ensured task completion at the potential cost of inspiration. These reflections underscore the importance of balancing both sets of behaviours, as neither is wholly sufficient on its own. The broader implication is that individuals and organisations must cultivate a synergy between leadership and management to navigate both change and complexity effectively. Personally, this module has prompted me to consider how I might develop leadership qualities to complement my managerial skills, ensuring a more holistic approach in future endeavors. Ultimately, understanding these distinctions and their interplay offers valuable insights for personal development and organisational success.
References
- Bass, B. M. (1990) From transactional to transformational leadership: Learning to share the vision. Organizational Dynamics, 18(3), pp. 19-31.
- Fiedler, F. E. (1967) A Theory of Leadership Effectiveness. McGraw-Hill.
- Goleman, D. (1995) Emotional Intelligence: Why It Can Matter More Than IQ. Bantam Books.
- Heifetz, R. A. (1994) Leadership Without Easy Answers. Harvard University Press.
- Kotter, J. P. (1990) What leaders really do. Harvard Business Review, 68(3), pp. 103-111.
- Mintzberg, H. (1973) The Nature of Managerial Work. Harper & Row.
- Northouse, P. G. (2021) Leadership: Theory and Practice. 9th ed. SAGE Publications.
- Robbins, S. P. and Coulter, M. (2021) Management. 15th ed. Pearson Education.
- Yukl, G. (2013) Leadership in Organizations. 8th ed. Pearson Education.
