Both are important. A great manager must have leadership skills and a great leader must know how to manage. However, I think it is better to be strong in your leadership skills. Leading requires having a mission, vision, or a voice for your team to follow. Being able to get your team to see you vision, mission or hear your voice challenges your leadership. Getting them to understand adn work it requires good management.
There is a time and place for both styles; and sometimes both are needed. I don't think you can definitively state that one is more important than the other until you are in a situation that calls for it.
I believe that both leadership and management hold equal importance most of the time. Since the two serve different functions, but essentially have the same goals, it's the quid pro quo effect. For example, look at a NFL football team. The coach has assistant coaches who all have a job and are leaders of their given areas but whatever they coach as apart of the coaches strategy and communicates that to the players. It is very similar in the Management/Leadership scenerio even in the workplace.
Thanks for sharing your experience here Juan. It sounds like you have situations where you use more leadership techniques versus management techniques. Please keep us posted on your progress.
Dr. Jean Norris
I am an instructor at a business college. We have certification programs and a few associate programs. Many of my students come from humble and troubled backgrounds, are young single mothers and I honestly believe that it is more important for me to be a leader than a manager. These young students have never had a role model and I try very hard to be one. I know that a certain amount of managing the class is necessary, but I think leadership is more improtant in this case.
Juan, thanks for sharing this. Tell me when you've experience a time where being a leader was more important.
Dr. Jean Norris
In a large organization it is possible that these traits are not in the same person and can work well through good written and oral communication between a designated leader and a designated manager.
It depends on the activity. Some activities may call for a strong leader and some for a strong manager and of course some activities will require both skills. I believe neither is more important than the other, it depends....
It is important to be both. Good manager leads and a good leader manages. It is important to have good leadership skills for your employees and customers look for that. A good leader is like being a choir director and leading a choir. Many different people, many different voices, but all working together as a team to produce one sound. A good leader can encourage their team to be a team for it is displayed in their leadership. A good manager knows how to manage the issues, problems, or any concerns and resolved them. A good manager will be solution oriented and discipline or given recognition when necessary. Being only a leader takes away from being a managers and being only a manager takes away from leading.
Cherry, interesting point. I wonder, can a leader be someone without the title of "manager?"
Dr. Jean Norris
I feel both are important. But, a leader is the one with the visiona and manager carries it out. Some managers can give ideas that can be incorperated. But, leaders start the process..
Julius, thanks for sharing your perspective here. I like your definition of a leader and it speaks volumes when you see those characteristics in action.
Dr. Jean Norris
Being a leader is important but not more important. To be a leader would mean you understand that its a multi-player game. Your vision and communication has to be effective, effective enough to engage others to believe in your vision as much as you do. So, is one greater than the other my answer would be no.
Janet, based on your thoughts here, I wonder what do you think could be done in order to ensure that each value the other?
Dr. Jean Norris
Both managers and leaders are important in a company. Leaders birth the vision; managers make sure the vision is put in place and sustained for long-term results. One cannot function effectively without the other. What's really important is that leaders value managers and managers value leaders.
Alberta, sure. That's a great point. I wonder, can someone have leadership skills without having the "management" title?
Dr. Jean Norris
Both are just as important if the person is doing their best job.
Tamikah, thanks for sharing your insight here. I wonder, where do you consider yourself in the manager vs. leader spectrum?
Dr. Jean Norris
I would have to say both skill sets are need a manager and a leader in today 21st century.
When managers are organization,leading controlling and planning, leadership falls into place steming from a vision, implementation to take the company to the next level.
I think they go, as they say, "hand in hand". I think for something to truely work well you need to be a team.
