Monthly Archives: November 2009

Is leadership more than management? Or is just an aspiration?

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There is a debate we need to address, and that is the distinction between leadership and management.

Chris Mabey suggests that seperating the qualities of leaders and managers is traced back to Zaleznick (1977). Kotter (1990) reinforced this distinction, that:
good management brings order, consistency and quality to otherwise chaotic organisations
Contrasting this with leadership which is preparing the organisation for change and helping employees cope with the struggle of changing it.

But now

  • Organisations are ‘de-layered’ – the defined functions of “management” are less absolute and a manager‘s power base of influence has had to shift from positional power to personal.
  • The traditional theories (theory X etc) and frameworks are seen to be lacking and more emergent leadership rather than prescribed.
  • Management and leadership has been greatly studies form a western, male perspective – this is changing
    • The split may simply be part of the aspirational values attached to leadership over management. Though it appears that effective and successful leaders, according to our research demonstrate five competency areas that go beyond ‘management’. They:
    1. Use the exchange principle
    2. Take responsibility
    3. Earn the right to lead
    4. Communicate a shared vision
    5. Show flexibility in their leadership

    Mapping the ‘traditional’ managerial competencies shows how ‘agile’ leaders go beyond the expected managerial standards:

    agile_leadership
    Is there a difference bewteen leadership and management?
    Is it just aspirational?
    Or is there something important that is missing here?
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