Introduction
Leadership and management are often seen as overlapping concepts, but are they truly the same? Many organisations, including corporations, academics, theorists, researchers, and authors, recognize the importance of understanding the differences between the two. In the past, leaders founded companies while managers were hired to handle operations. However, nowadays, business management education dominates our educational system, blurring the distinction between leadership and management. This blog – Navigating the Divide – The Distinct Pathways of Leadership and Management aims to delve into the disparities between them.
Although people often confuse leadership and management, they are fundamentally different. The key distinction lies in the followership aspect: leaders have people who follow them, while managers have individuals who simply work for them.
Leadership entails inspiring people to understand and believe in the company’s vision and working together to achieve shared goals. On the other hand, management focuses on administering work and ensuring day-to-day activities are carried out effectively.
For a business to succeed, it requires both a strong leader and manager who can rally their team toward the envisioned success. They must rise above distractions, manage their time effectively, and maintain peak focus and performance. Thus, leadership and management are intertwined and complementary. While not identical, they are intricately connected. Any attempt to separate the two within an organisation is likely to create more issues than it resolves.
