Question
1.1 Describe a range of meanings attached to the concepts of leadership and management.
1.2 Justify distinctions drawn between leadership and management.
2.1 Evaluate a range of approaches for developing leaders and managers.
2.2 Discuss the role of the L&D function in providing leadership and management development.
3.1 Identify indicators of success for leadership and management development programmes.
3.2 Justify methods to ensure the success of leadership and management development programmes.
Solution/Answer
- Meaning of Leadership and Management Concept
Leadership Concepts
Leadership as a Process
This concept means that leadership has an influence on the followers for achieving their set objectives/goals. As identified in CIPD (2019a), leadership ensures that an organisation operates within an environment of promoting collaboration among the administration, subordinates, and stakeholders to achieve their set objectives. This is evidenced by the systems theory of leadership (King & Travers, 2017), which is based on the assumption that leadership identifies different leaders’ characters. As stipulated in this theory, a leader’s effectiveness is informed by being ready to achieve set roles, guiding an effective relationship, and participating in organisation programs.
Personality traits
This implies that a leader has a role to ensure that they influence others in demonstrating a positive, personalised attribute and behaviour. According to CIPD (2019a), this implies the possession of distinct personality traits and distinctive qualities. To demonstrate the most important leaders’ traits in their roles, traits theory noted by Turner and McCarthy (2015) can be adopted, which demonstrates presence of divergent traits that differentiate effective and diverse leadership. As illustrated in figure 1, owning or lacking the noted traits describes progressive leadership or inexistence.
Figure 1: Traits of a Successful Leader
Operating as an HR professional in Saudi Aramco, I have appreciated that possessing distinct traits differentiated by the capacity to influence other subordinates and maximise their capacity to achieve assigned roles.
Followers Defining the Leadership Concept
The concept can also be defined in the context of followers. The context notes this that it is the followers who are engaged in identifying the success of leaders. As evidenced by Weber (2015), leadership is strategically identified in ensuring that they improve the efficiency level and role wellness. Additionally, Dartey-Baah (2015) identifies the process as involving transformational and transactional leadership theories. This is on the lenses of thinking, emotional intelligence, adapting to their environment, L&D strategies, and collaboration in their functions.
Management Concepts
Capacity to organise and coordinate
Management is identified as an organisation’s capacity to coordinate their organisation practices for successfully achieving set entity goals. This is noted by CIPD (2020a) to involve a manager’s core function to guide strategic identification of organisation goals, appraising the stakeholders, and noting a strategy to be followed to achieve set goals. In the same context, management is used to include providing appropriate direction in an organisation to guide successful implementation. This indicates that management plays an important role in implementing holistic coordination in different departments to achieve all the set objectives. The concept is also identified by the X&Y Douglas McGregor theory (Mohamed & Nor, 2013) based on the assumption that managers possess views on their followers. As evidenced in figure 2, Theory Y can be used (see figure2).
Figure 2: Theory X and Y of Leadership
Support function Concept
The concept informs this interpretation that management is actively involved in offering organisational context implementing direct and support functions. This is unique instead of prioritising important activities of an entity in handling entire threats and opportunities in place in the external business environment and operations. As informed by the Frederick W. Taylor Model (Ulrich & Dulebohn, 2015), the existence of sustainable support is influenced by the presence of enough management (see summary in figure 3).
Figure 3: Frederick W. Taylor Model Scientific Theory
Value and Culture Defining Management Concept
Regarding the value and culture, the management concept is informed by the need to promote the values and culture. Th two concepts are appropriately adapted to guide an entity in decision-making with the managers having a holistic and direct influence on process implementation. It is important to note that it is possible to promote performance, profits acquisition, and capacity of an organisation in attaining market dominance through appropriate management strategies. This is in line with Elton Mayo’s Human Relations to management theory (Medury, 2020) that can be adopted. The concept is used in noting that the management is applied in depicting high-level expertise and scope of specialism. This is influenced by knowledge possession, procedures, strategies, and inquiries.
- Differences between Leadership and Management
The history of management can be traced from 1914 by FW Taylor (Taylor, 1914), founded from the Military practices to command and control. Over the years, evolving the concept has been evident from its current status in contemporary management practices. The concept is identified to involve planning, organising, coordinating, and implementing their roles. The current concept of management is informed by Dubnick (2018), introducing the Administration Theory and highlighting that the concept of management impacting the progress of an entity. This is in tandem with the CIPD (2019a) concept that highlights the management concept entails promoting effective administration.
On the contrary, leadership is defined as an undertaking that includes identifying organisation mission and vision and creating an inspired for the followers/subordinates. This is by provision of a holistic overview of all activities in achievement of an organisation vision. Therefore, leadership facilitates transitioning the vision to guide distinct practices and subordinates’ behaviours. An appropriate example is Saudi Aramco, where the management is involved in providing appropriate guidance to subordinates in planning, budgeting, recruiting, assigning functions of the employees, mitigating different problems, and controlling the process holistically. This is contrary to the leadership concept involved in setting an appropriate organisation vision, mission, and aligning the values prioritised, and influencing stakeholders working as subordinates to operate in the appropriate direction. This is in tandem with the set entity goals for inspiring and motivating the employees.
Additionally, to differentiate the management and leadership concept, the European Foundation Quality Model (EFQM) can also be used (CIPD, 2018) can also be referenced. It is informed by the assumption that leadership is a strategy of the executive and administrators. This is with the leadership prioritising an organisation mission and value to support a consistent improvement of roles, stakeholder’s inclusion, motivation, and appreciation of employees’ loyalty. On the other hand, this theory notes that management includes an approach intended to ensure a high-level governance, organisation growth, and development, ultimately realising all stakeholders’ potential. This is a collaborative team practices in an organisation scope.
Lastly, the difference between leadership and management could be distinguished by identifying Kotter’s management theory (Rajan & Ganesan, 2017). The applicability of this model is informed by the assumption that leaders’ roles are inclusive of putting in place an entity vision and fostering commitment levels and sense of ownership. This is contrary to management, which details a high level of engagement to promote a high-level vision development for coordinating and organising an organisation practice (figure 5 summary).
Figure 5: Kotter’s management theory leadership and management
In summarising the identified differences, in Saudi Aramco organisation, the difference is evident because leadership is tasked with a responsibility to direct, align, and relate to promote personalised traits and outcomes. This is since leaders are passionate, creative, and rational, mindful, and persistent in their role’s implementation. Leaders flexibility is an assurance, innovative, inspired, courageous and independent. This is opposed to the managers who execute their functions by consulting, analysing varying issues, full authority exercise and stable role implementation.
2.1 Leaders and Managers Development Approaches
Coaching/Mentoring Programs
……………………..Please click the paypal icon below to receive this report for only $20