As the world moves through the 21st Century, business is becoming more dependent upon professional managers, who can bring success to an organization. Issues such as globalization and decentralization add to the need for organizations to hire flexible managers capable of leading.
To manage is to work through and with others to accomplish organizational objectives ethically and efficiently. To lead is a social influence process where the leader seeks voluntary participation of their subordinates to reach organizational goals. There are differences between leadership and management. Managers like to administer where leaders like to innovate. Managers like to control where leaders like to inspire.
Leadership is a human relationship process. No scientific method can be used for testing leadership. Leadership is based on human factors and no two humans are the same. Managers are not only interested in status quo, but also production, expansion and growth. Management was a system to control machines. Leadership can never be controlled. Where an individual sits in life determines what you see. To be a good manager you must look at views from different perspectives. Leadership and management work hand in hand with one another. They
What a manager does and how it is done can be categorized into four functions. Planning, Organizing, Leading and Controlling. Through these functions managers can be catalysts for change, or in today’s language change agents. The economy and technology is changing at a rapid-fire pace. Company’s are searching for ways to keep up, and are beginning to realize the importance of utilizing the team concept. Increasingly, managers are searching for a means to improve production and keep their organization competitive in the global market. I can remember when we created quality circles which were originally used to fulfill this role. However, they are being phased out in favor of self-managed work teams.
In conclusion, it is obvious the ability to stimulate change, excellent planning capabilities, and ethics are essential traits a manger should possess and utilize in leading organizations in the 21st Century. These traits will assist the manager to focus on success for their organization, as they are traits subordinates look for in their leader. By using these traits, a manager can place themselves on a path that can lead to success.
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