MANAGEMENT & LEADERSHIP

Critical Reflection in Management & Leadership in educational context



Critical Reflection in Management & Leadership in educational context

Introduction

Leadership can be explained as a procedure whereby one person affects the others for the purpose of achieving goals and relating to the organization. There is a definite different between management and leadership. Management involves planning controlling, evaluating a process or technique whereby leadership involves the skill and talent to direct and motivate employees towards a specific goal. Leadership and management go hand in hand, as an organization needs good leaders and mangers to help them work efficiently and achieve their desired targets. Importance within leadership grew during the initial period of twentieth century. Leadership patterns are based on the assumption that certain physical, social and personal services inherited to the leaders. This includes physical traits of maturity, power, striking appearance and image. Social Issues Picture Studios in schools, high social status or social advancement.

Discussion

Theories at start focused on what are the qualities involved in differencing a leader from a follower where as related theories focus on other factors that include level of skill involved as well as factors with respect to situation. Management theories help in facilitating leadership theories as explained earlier that leadership and management are linked to each other. Transactional theories come under the umbrella of management theories that are focused on supervisor's responsibilities, and the performance of organization and groups. Theories with respect to management are applied in businesses. This includes situations whereby when s worker is successful he shall be given rewards and vice versa. Hence, management theories helps in facilitating the works of the leaders and in this way are connected to the leadership theories. Leadership is a term that has been used since centuries and there are various theories with respect to leadership that includes:

Great Man Theories

This theory is based on the assumption that ability of one being a leader is inherited. Stressing on the fact that leaders are not created they are born. Such theories always give a picture that leaders are mythic, heroes and it is in their destiny to become leaders when their need arises. The word great man is taken as during that time the word leadership was associated with men qualities, more specifically in context to army leadership (Lord, 2004, Pp 343).

Trait Theories

This theory has some similarity to Great Man theory. This theory is based on the belief that individuals that possess certain abilities and skills that are apt for leadership are usually through inheritance. This theory usually does identification of a specific behaviours traits or personality that a leader possesses. One main question that trait theories have difficulty in addressing is how to explain which individual have those skills but they are not leaders.

Contingency theories

This theory of leadership emphasis on specific variables in relation to the environment that help in deciding which specific style with respect to leadership is suited best. Being successful here depends on numerous variables that include ...