That’s not leadership, I explained. That’s management — and the two are radically different (Kotter, 2013)." As John Kotter explains management and leadership are often used interchangeably by many who do not fully understand their differences. With a quick look at their definitions, it can be easily understood, why the untrained mind may perceive them as being synonyms. Management is defined as, “the person or persons controlling and directing the affairs of a business, institution, etc(Dictionary.com, 2013).” While Leadership can be defined as, “an act or instance of leading, guidance, direction(Dictionary.com, 2013).” As you may have noticed they seem to be very similar, both refer to guiding and setting a direction for a group or business. However, the real difference lies in not the outcome, rather the steps that were taken to get there. The focus will be to demonstrate the core differences between management and leadership, while also demonstrating the need to have both in any successful organization or business, and how these organizations can help promote both qualities for successful secession planning.
Management and Leadership are two very different skill sets that have become intertwined over the decades of research. Management can be seen as a much more quantifiable approach to the same goal-success. In management the base of their power comes from their employees or subordinate personnel that they manage. Management style typically inclines a direct action passed on to their subordinates to perform a task. “Management style is transactional, in that the manager tells the subordinate what to do, and the subordinate does this not because they are a blind robot, but because they have been promised a reward (at minimum their salary) for doing so(Changing Minds,2013).” The primary goal of management is to be successful. Managers tend to develop a style that can require very little change from situation to situation most managers seek comfort in this...