Management versus Leadership
Billy B. Bob
MGT 380
Ryan Newcomb
September 23, 2014
Management versus Leadership
One of the biggest debates in my professional career has been the controversy over managers and leaders. I use to think that the two were identical and that they both performed the same functions. My reasoning would simplify the whole notion by assuming that these were two terms meaning the same thing. For example; if I wanted to describe a specific mode of transportation I could call it a vehicle or even a truck. While many people use those terms loosely, I believe this is also true of management and leadership. Like the various types of vehicles in the automotive industry, there are a variety of fundamentals that make up effective management; leadership is one of those fundamentals.
First of all, I would like to point out the simplistic facts and definitions about the two words. Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary defines a management as, “the conducting or supervising of something (as a business)” and/or “judicious use of means to accomplish an end”. Both of these definitions give you the gist of what a manager is and a vague description of what one does. Leadership on the other hand is described by Merriam-Webster as a “guide, conductor” and/or “a person who has commanding authority or influence”. While both of these definitions have some similarities, they are different in a lot of ways.
As compared earlier, a truck is a type of vehicle. This is only one type compared to many others that make up the vehicle category. For example; there are 4-door sedans, 2-door coupes, station wagons, convertibles, sports cars, mini vans, SUVs, trucks, and vans. In management, there are different types or functions of a manager like types of vehicles. Managers have many responsibilities and a lot of what these responsibilities are depends on what the requirements for that specific position within the organization might be. Some...