National Cultures and Leadership

 

Analysis of Leadership

Manage and lead are two terms often used interchangeably. Both management and leadership are concerned with guiding a team to accomplish a collective goal. However, the difference between management and leadership is also noteworthy. Management focuses on planning, organizing, and coordinating a group for the achievement of certain goals. Management is mainly task oriented, with focus on completing current goals are meeting set objectives. On the other hand, leadership focuses on people and relationships. While management focuses on completing certain tasks, leadership seeks to motivate and inspire followers towards a vision of the future. Different fro managers who assume tasks for the group, leaders are often responsible for looking forward and imagining potential possibilities. Based on their insight and vision, leaders set directions for their followers.

There are multiple approaches that managers can adopt to ensure success. The command and control approach is a rigid and hierarchical approach that retains the decision-making power at the management level (Adam et al., 2017). This management approach encourages discipline and structure, and works well in structured organizations with clear tasks. However, command and control management can be restrictive, limiting the development of subordinates and the team (Gill, 2010). Another approach to management is coaching. With the coaching style of management, managers empower their subordinates and encourage them to develop new ideas and solutions. Compared to the command and control approach of managers, the coaching approach to management is more suited to today’s organizations, which operate in more ambiguous and fluid environments. In today’s world, successful organizations are the ones that are able to innovate and create (Barsh et al., 2008). Innovative managers adopt the coaching approach to leadership to inspire and empower their followers. Different from the command and control approach to management, the coaching approach trusts and delegates followers to harness their abilities.

According to the Chartered Management Institute (2012), there is no single approach of management that is best for all circumstances. The contingency approach to management stresses that different circumstances are suited for different management styles (De Cremer & Tyler, 2011). This theory suggests that management effectiveness is situational. The situations determine the approaches and control system that can be adopted to achieve the highest level of effectiveness. There is no universal approach that is best for all situations. Thus, it is important for effective organizations and leaders to tailor their management approaches to the particular circumstances they face. This is to say, effective management requires managers to identify the relevant conditions, including the nature of the task and the people involved. Managers need to consider these conditions and integrate them into a solution that is most appropriate.

One example of an ideal leader in the real world is Bill Gates, the founder of Microsoft. Gates is one of the most admired business leaders in the United States. During his time at Microsoft, Gates encouraged and coached his employees to create and to innovate. Gates held development meetings for programmers, engineers, designers, etc. While Bill Gates often coached his followers, he is well-known for assuming an autocratic leadership style, especially in his early years. Another ideal leader is Walt Disney, the founder of Disney, the most influential entertainment company in the world. Walt Disney was a visionary in creating animated films. He also coached his teams in the production of animated story. Walt Disney often sits down with artists around the drawing table to create plots, scenes, and characters together.

Both Bill Gates and Walt Disney are visionary leaders who can develop insights and inspire their followers. Furthermore, the two leaders were able to coach their followers in completing their tasks as well as in the development of personal ability and skills. As a member of a team, I would like to be led by a visionary leader who assumes a coaching style of leadership. I believe it is important for a leader to be able to develop a vision for the future of the team that can inspire followers. This vision is necessary for motivating followers to deliver their best potential. Furthermore, I believe it is the job of a leader to coach followers and help them develop personal skills. Coaching encourages and empowers followers, allowing them to take on more responsibility and development more engagement.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

References

Adams, R., Owen, C., Scott, C., & Parsons, D. P. (2017). Beyond command and control: Leadership, culture and risk. CRC Press.

 

Barsh, J., Capozzi, M. M., & Davidson, J. (2008). Leadership and innovation. McKinsey Quarterly, 1, 36.

 

De Cremer, D., & Tyler, T. R. (2011). On being the leader and acting fairly: A contingency approach.

 

Gill, S. J. (2010). Command-and-Control Leadership vs. People-Centered Leadership. The Performance Improvement Blog.