STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT AND LEADERSHIP SKILLS

Strategic Management and Leadership Skills



Strategic Management and Leadership Skills

AC (1.1)Explain The Link Between Strategic Management And Leadership

People generally assume that a manager, by default, is a leader. In reality, a leader and a manager can be distinguished clearly. The leader has followers, and the manager is a follower. There is a thin line of difference between leadership and management. One thing that is common in both leadership and management is that both deals with working with other people and working towards attainment of goals (Northouse, 2007, pp. 58). Both of these fields are separated from each other, but they go hand in hand. When an organization wants to bring change it has to work in a way that amalgamates functions of both the fields. If long-term focus of the organization (leadership) is not aligned with short term goals and task completion (management).

Nature of the relationship is one aspect that separates management from leadership. Management involves more authoritative relationship that flows from top to down. On the other hand, leadership involves more influential relationship between the members. In the case of leadership, the leader influences his or her followers and also cause influence on the overall process of leadership and in turn followers also cause influence on leaders and process of leadership.

From a theoretical and conceptual perspective, these differences may seem to be very clear, but in the practical world, the scenario is entirely different. There are many concepts and aspects that overlap and merge with each other in the practical world.

Management and Leadership have been significantly associated with one another since leading itself is one of the core components of effective management that is, planning, organizing, leading and controlling. The reason leading is a key component is because when employees, students, subordinates, coordinators or even family members living in a family setting or grouping are required and obliged to follow certain rules and principles set by an authoritative individual or body or organization that runs the entire setup. Thus for effective management, strong and effective leadership skills are necessary and inevitably crucial in order for the entire system of conduct to survive accordingly.

Leaders create change, focus on leading people, have followers, have long-term goals and are proactive. They create the vision, approach vision by setting direction, facilitate in decision making, and use personal charisma. They also have the transformational style, exchange excitement for work, use conflict to resolve issues, and make new roads.

Managers generate stability, focus on managing work, have subordinates, have short-term goals and are reactive. They have objectives to which they approach by planning, making decisions, and using formal authority. Managers appeal to the head, are persuasive by stating what needs to be done, want results, minimize risks, and make rules. They also have the transactional style, and they exchange money for work, avoid conflict, and use existing roads. Managers are concerned with being right, take credit for the entire job, and blame others for what goes ...