A511.1.3.RB - Leadership vs. Management

The simple question "Why"? relates to cause and "Greater Goal."
Think about a leader who has inspired you. Was the person inspiring as an individual, or did you respond more to the cause to which the person enlisted you?
This week’s module was essentially an introduction to leadership along with discussion of the concepts of leadership and management. You may have noticed where they are the same and where are they different. Be that as it may, one of the roles of a manager is understood to involve the exercise of leadership.
For this reflective analysis, please continue that thought process and create a submission that encapsulates content from the module as well as your own thoughts on the issue of the intersection of leadership/management. You may approach this discussion from any angle. One might be simply to define managerial work and then analyze how leadership is a part of that. Perhaps you would prefer to examine Mintzberg’s various managerial roles and analyze how the leader role is either integral to or is not related to the remaining nine roles.
When planning this submission, you might also think about the video of Simon Sinek's TEDx talk and the “why” of leadership. Why does Southwest Airlines exist? Does the slogan “Freedom to Fly" make sense? This is what Herb Kelleher “sold” and SWA leadership still sells to its employees! What “cause” made his employees come to work every day, especially in the early days of the airline when they were paid substantially less than similar employees at other airlines. Is this “why” of leadership something that should be considered within the discussion of managerial work?

Leadership and management must go hand in hand. They are not the same thing. But they are necessarily linked, and complementary (Murray, n/d).
The words leadership and management have different definitions. Leadership is the position or function of a leader, a person who guides or directs a group. Management is the person or persons controlling and directing the affairs of a business, institution, etc (Dictionary.com). People don't buy what you do; they buy why you do it. If you talk about what you believe, you will attract those who believe what you believe (Sinek, 2009).
The manager maintains; the leader develops. The manager focuses on systems and structure; the leader focuses on people. The manager does things right; the leader does the right thing. The manager relies on control; the leader inspires trust (Murray, n/d).
There are leaders with a strong moral compass, who focus on the needs of their followers rather than their own self-interest. But does being such a leader actually pay off?

My old supervisor was someone who was supremely hard working. Everything she did was for the purpose of bettering society, the people she worked with and herself, in that order.She was passionate about diversity issues, particularly women's and LGBT rights. She was not simply a social media activist, "liking" pages on Facebook and signing online petitions. She was a letter-writer, caller, marcher, donor and teacher on these issues. She molded her work group around activism and encouraged, as well as participated in, community service and philanthropy initiatives. She challenged her staff to think, "What do I care about? What do I want to change?" She then asked us what we were doing to emphasize those interests. Did we simply believe it, or did we work for the progress of our ideals?
Servant leaders focus their attention on the long-term prosperity of the firm and the development
of their employees. In doing so, servant leaders basically activate a process of reciprocation in which
employees respond by performing better, not only individually but especially on behalf of the firm as a whole.
Caring about the organization’s success rather than his or her own, valuing honesty more than profits, and emphasizing the need to give back to the community are inspiring to individuals. Why? People want to be useful. They enjoy missions. Most do not want to do themselves, but giving them a mission is doing a part of their work for them. It's a convenience to hop on a bandwagon. 

But, as Simon Sinek notes, you must declare your mission. If you don't know why you do what you do, and people respond to why you do what you do, then how will you ever get people to vote for you, or buy something from you, or, more importantly, be loyal and want to be a part of what it is that you do?

We follow those who lead, not for them, but for ourselves.


Refeences

Dictionary.com. Accessed at http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/management?s=t

Hess, Edward D. (2013). Servant leadership: A path to high performance. The Washington Post. Accessed at http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/capitalbusiness/servant-leadership-a-path-to-high-performance/2013/04/26/435e58b2-a7b8-11e2-8302-3c7e0ea97057_story.html

Murray, Alan. (n/d). What is the Difference Between Management and Leadership? The Wall Street Journal. Accessed at http://guides.wsj.com/management/developing-a-leadership-style/what-is-the-difference-between-management-and-leadership/

Sinek, Simon. (2009). How great leaders inspire action. TEDx. Accessed at http://www.ted.com/talks/simon_sinek_how_great_leaders_inspire_action/transcript?language=en#t-587000