Viewpoint - Bob Gershberg - July 2023

Leadership and Management – Both Essential but Differentby Bob Gershberg, CEO/Managing Partner, Wray Executive Search Strong leadership without good management or conversely good management without strong leadership can be disconcerting at best.  It is important to note the distinction between the two and recognize the necessity of both in order to attain success in any organization.  Leadership is about vision, direction, change and motivation.  Management plans, budgets, organizes, provides control and solves problems. Effective leadership often involves incorporating management skills, and effective managers may exhibit leadership qualities. The most successful organizations typically have individuals who can effectively balance both leadership and management functions. Leadership and management are two distinct concepts that have different focuses and functions within organizations. While they are related and often overlap, they involve different sets of skills, perspectives, and approaches. Leadership primarily focuses on inspiring and guiding a group of individuals towards a common vision or goal. It involves setting a direction, aligning people, and motivating them to achieve their full potential. Management, on the other hand, is primarily concerned with implementing processes, systems, and controls to ensure the efficient and effective use of resources to achieve organizational objectives. Leadership is more people-oriented, emphasizing relationships, communication, and empowerment. Leaders inspire, influence, and develop their team members, fostering collaboration, trust, and creativity. Management, on the other hand, tends to be more task-oriented, focusing on planning, organizing, coordinating, and controlling processes and activities to achieve specific outcomes. Leadership often involves initiating and managing change. Leaders identify new opportunities, adapt to shifting environments, and inspire others to embrace and drive change. They challenge the status quo and take calculated risks to drive innovation and growth. Management, however, aims to maintain stability and continuity by efficiently managing existing processes, resources, and structures. Managers ensure that day-to-day operations run smoothly and consistently. Leadership typically has a long-term perspective, focusing on the overall direction and future of the organization. Leaders develop a compelling vision, set strategic goals, and guide the organization towards achieving sustainable success. Management tends to have a more short-term focus, ensuring that immediate tasks and objectives are accomplished within given timeframes. In brief, it appears many companies are over-managed and under led.  Managers drive people to do their routine tasks on a regular basis.  Leaders dig deeper and touch the emotional triggers to create a sense of belonging.  Managers match skill sets to fit the person to the task.  Leaders align people with the vision. A leader sets direction.  A manger designs a plan. Change is the function of leadership and motivating to overcome the obstacles of change is paramount for success.  Managerial processes have less risk.  They are routine by design and require closely adhered to systems. Good leaders motivate people by clearly articulating the vision and involving the team in deciding how to achieve the organization’s vision.  Coaching, feedback and mentoring provide the required self-esteem.  Rewarding success is the icing on the cake.

Comparison chart LeadershipManagementDefinition:Leadership means "the ability of an individual to influence, motivate, and enable others to contribute toward the effectiveness and success of the organizations of which they are members."Management comprises directing and controlling a group of one or more people or entities for the purpose of coordinating and harmonizing that group towards accomplishing a goal.Personality Styles:Are often called brilliant and mercurial, with great charisma. Yet, they are also often seen as loners and private people. They are comfortable taking risks, sometimes seemingly wild and crazy risks. Almost all leaders have high levels of imaginationTend to be rational, under control problem solvers. They often focus on goals, structures, personnel, and availability of resources. Managers’ personalities lean toward persistence, strong will, analysis, and intelligence.Focus:Leading peopleManaging workOutcomes:AchievementsResultsApproach to tasks:Simply look at problems and devise new, creative solutions. Using their charisma and commitment, they excite, motivate, and focus others to solve problems and excel.Create strategies, policies, and methods to create teams and ideas that combine to operate smoothly. They empower people by soliciting their views, values, and principles. They believe that this combination reduces inherent risk and generates successApproach to risk:Risk-takingAdverse RiskRole in decision-making:FacilitativeInvolvedStyles:Transformational, Dictatorial, Authoritative, Consultative & ParticipativeTransactional, Autocratic, Consultative and DemocraticPower through:Charisma & InfluenceFormal authority & PositionOrganization:Leaders have followersManagers have subordinatesAppeal to:HeartHead Great leaders have emotional intelligence.  They also spend time developing future leaders rather than waiting for them to surface.  It is time well spent! All the best,

Bob Gershberg |CEO|Managing Partner| bob.gershberg@wraysearch.com (888) 875-9993 ext 102 Finding tomorrow’s leaders today!