Organizational Leadership Capstone:
Chapter I. Thoughts on Leadership:
Definition:
Leadership plays an important role in the field of management, and it has been identified that effective leadership plays a crucial in influencing the performance of an organization. Leadership is the process of making other people to follow. It is a very important aspect of management but differs from it. A leader with effective leadership practices can influence the people and, thereby, achieve the goals of the organization.
Chemers (2014) stated that leadership is followed by a process, wherein common task is achieved, and it is based on influencing socially. It is the activity of bringing together all the functions and activities to be undertaken by the people so as to accomplish the goals. In support to the definition provided by Chemers, Fairholm (2011) said that leadership is the process of making others act in order to achieve the goals. The major component is that carrying out activities to achieve the goals. In spite of this, Ricketts & Ricketts (2010) contradicted both the authors and suggested that it a series of actions to be carried out by people. It is a continuous and never-ending process that keeps on going for a longer period of time.
Management and Leadership:
Management and leadership are often as simultaneously and considered as the same thing, but they both are different from each other. Management comprises of getting the things done by others, and leadership comprises of making others to follow. They both share a common meaning, but the major difference between the both is that a manager cannot be a leader whereas a leader can be a manager as well. Management encompasses the planning, organizing, and directing activities whereas leadership involves taking initiative and motivating others to accomplish the task (Wart, 2005).
Management is all about managing the task and activities; in the meanwhile, leadership focuses on leading people in an organization. Thus, they share the common objective of achieving goals, but the approach used by both makes them different from each other. Leadership involves management qualities in respect of making others do activities whereas management may not necessarily involve leadership.
What Leaders Do:
Leadership is the practice of leading people and making them take the initiative in order to achieve the goals. A leader is the one, who influence other people and make them move in a common direction. He influences the internal environment of the organization and balances the external environment with the internal environment by adopting the changes. Leadership practices comprise of the behavior that a leader carries with him (Wart, 2005).
In this essence, two models are being discussed so as to get a thorough knowledge of the leadership practices.Kouzes and Posner Leadership Practices state five practices that a leader has to follow, which includes modeling the way, inspiring and sharing the vision, accepting challenges, enabling others to act, and encouraging them. These practices help a leader to achieve the commitment and enhance the effectiveness (Kouzes, & Posner, 2014).
Further, Robert Greenleaf’s formulated the servant leadership practices, which suggest that a leader has to first serve the leader and then only lead them. This practice focuses on the well-being of other people so as to enhance the growth opportunities (Frick, 2004). Therefore, leadership practices involve the behavior with the help of which a leader is able to lead others.
Conclusion:
Thus, from the above discussion, it can be concluded that leadership is an important component of management style. Both the terms are different from each other, but the use of both can be made simultaneously. Leader, with the effective leadership behavior, can influence the behavior of his followers and, thereby, make them achieve the common tasks. Leadership is all about the behavior, which a leader carries and capable enough to make others take initiative. The leader is the one, who leads others and make others move in the same direction.
References:
Chemers, M. (2014). An Integrative Theory of Leadership. New York: Psychology Press.
Fairholm, G.W. (2011). Real Leadership: How Spiritual Values Give Leadership Meaning: How Spiritual Values Give Leadership Meaning. California: ABC-CLIO.
Frick, D. M. (2004). Robert K. Greenleaf: A Life of Servant Leadership. California: Berrett-Koehler Publishers.
Kouzes, J. M. & Posner, B. Z. (2014). The Student Leadership Challenge: Five Practices for Becoming an Exemplary Leader. San Francisco: John Wiley & Sons.
Ricketts, C. & Ricketts, J. (2010). Leadership: Personal Development and Career Success. New York: Cengage Learning.
Wart, V. M. (2005). Dynamics of Leadership in Public Service: Theory and Practice. New York: M. E Sharpe.