Managers are people tasked with completing tasks, organizing staff, and ensuring overall productivity. Leaders exist in a more lofty role, inspiring others and encouraging towards positive change. On page 335, a distinction is made between managers and leaders: “Managers derive [their power] from their positions, while leaders often command it based on their personal attributes. Leaders draw on an ability to influence others that does not have to be associated with a specific position” (Moran & Morner, 2018). However, there is much overlap between these two positions, and Bennis and Nanus’s assertion is a little too bold.To me, this implies that managers are not necessarily good leaders and that leaders are not necessarily good managers. I believe that a manager and a leader play different roles; however, one could be both a good manager and a good leader, both doing things right and doing the right thing (or vice versa and anywhere in between).
It’s also important to remember that a good leader does not always do the right thing. Some leaders are destructive: “These leaders have sought leadership roles not for the sake of bettering an organization but for the sake of achieving their own objectives” (Moran and Morner, 2018, p. 338). Leaders like Hitler were clearly very effective, gaining a mass following and implementing goals; however they did not do “the right thing.” A genuinely good leader will seek out positive change for the greater good of the community, not of himself. Likewise, a good manager may be tasked with doing things right, but that may often entail actually doing the right thing as well.
I have a friend who holds leadership seminars through VCU. She tasks me with reviewing the data from coworkers and supervisors for the participants and writing summaries outlining their strengths and areas for improvement. The people who have the highest praise tend to be the ones who have positive relationships with their staff, just as the University of Michigan study from the text noted: “Departments with employee-centered managers produced more than those with production centered managers” (2018, Moran and Morner, p. 341). While the focus is explicitly on leadership for these participants, management clearly overlaps, and the individuals who are good leaders tend to be good managers as well. A good manager will often work on developing leadership skills that further relationships and trust within an organization.
I feel that there are so many opportunities for leaders and managers both to do things right and to do the right thing. Each person is different in their leadership and management styles, and each situation is different. Recognizing the importance of both managing an organization or group of people while being a positive leader seems to be the best way to be effective in one’s position.
Moran, B. B., & Morner, C. J. (2018). Library and information center management (9th ed.). Libraries Unlimited.
I agree with your sentiment that the two roles of manager and leader often overlap . As our text points out this week, the flattening of the “managerial pyramid” often necessitates the wearing of multiple hats (Moran & Morner, 2018, p. 10). A concern with this duplicity is that, while I agree that elements of leadership are skill-based and thus “trainable”, truly great leaders have innate strengths that simply can’t be developed. This is where institutions can run into significant problems when the expectation that really skilled managers are also capable of being really great leaders. (may have served under a few principals that fit this scenario!) Your experience with reviewing leadership data sounds incredibly insightful for this course. I wonder if your friend’s data includes information regarding leadership style; it would make for an interesting study to see how her results stand up to our text’s review of the various leadership models and theory!
Moran, B. B., & Morner, C. J. (2018). Library and information center management (9th ed). Libraries Unlimited.
I agree that many people are more “natural” leaders, though it seems like there is this big push for everyone to be a leader. High school students are regularly seeking out leadership opportunities, and some are certainly better than others. And as people become adults, there is the expectation to be a good leader, but may not actually possess these natural skills.
Unfortunately, I don’t get to see what happens after the survey, but I may have to reach out to her about what their program does. I’ve definitely read surveys where people are good managers, but don’t have the interpersonal skills to be a more effective leader. There is definitely something to be said for being comfortable working with people as a manager and a leader.
I agree with you about your point that everyone is different and will manage and lead differently in a variety of situations especially because the same person is likely to react differently if they come across a similar scenario twice because people learn. Also, I thought that you point about how managers and leaders play different roles made a lot of sense and how both those roles could involve doing the right thing and doing things right or the reverse. That being said, do you think there are some scenarios that could require a more managerial approach and some scenarios that require a leadership approach? If so, what would an example be?
Absolutely! That’s a great thing to keep in mind, sometimes a manager is more important than a leader and vice versa. Perhaps if the goal is to inspire, a leader is more effective, and maybe in terms of directing and developing productivity, a manager is more valuable. Ultimately, it’s likely important to have a little bit of both, especially when dealing with people.
Good leaders and good managers can coexist in not only the same person, but in the same department. I would argue that the employee centered managers are not only managers but leaders. The production centered managers can be complemented by having a strong leader on their management team. This would be an example of where good managers and good leaders coexist. The key is not only knowing your management style but to build your management team with people that complement your style and help to create a well rounded management team. You don’t have to do it all alone.
Great insight! I’m looking forward to learning more about management style this week and seeing how it complements leadership.