Leadership assignment examining the differences between management and leadership and discuss the role of enterprise leaders in socially responsible organisations
Question
Task: How can you establish in your leadership assignment the differences between management and leadership? Do you think leaders are socially responsible?
Answer
Introduction
Leadership and management are two terms which are often used synonymously. However, there is a vast difference between the two concepts. When an individual is promoted to a managerial role, he/she does not become a leader. As per the present leadership assignment there are certain traits which are needed to become a leader. A position or job role does not create leaders. Management refers to the control that an individual has over a group of people or set of entities. The management aims at accomplishing a common goal. On the other hand, leadership refers to the ability of the individuals to motivate, influence, inspire and help others to put in efforts towards organisational success (Maccoby 2000). The managers and leaders differ in terms of inspiration and influence, control and power. In this leadership assignmentessay, the difference between a leader and a manager will be analysed. The characteristics of a socially responsible leader will also be discussed in the essay.
Lay down the difference between leadership and management in this leadership assignment
The leaders are very different from the managers. The simple promotions in job can make a person a manager. However, this certainly does not make the person a leader. The leader create vision for the organisation and the followers. On the contrary, managers create short term and long term goals which the employees are expected to accomplish (Kotterman 2006). Effective leaders can act as change agents while the managers simply maintain andmanage the status quo. The managers copy their previous managers and do not try anything new. The leaders on the other hand are unique in their approach and ideas. The leaders are always ready to take risks and face challenges. The managers however, are responsible for controlling the risks. According to the leadership assignmentthe management thinks of the short term while leadership is for a longer haul (Bonau 2017). The leaders are expected to be efficient and effective. The managers have their subordinates whose actions they control. The leaders on the other hand have their followers whom they influence and guide. Thecircle of power is created by the managers while the circle of influence is created by the leaders. The individuals or employees within the reporting hierarchy of an organisation come to the manager for suggestion and support. The individuals even outside this hierarchy would go to the leader for their advice and guidance (Tau et al. 2018). If the manager is a good leader as per the leadership assignment, he/she will get followers who do not come under the control of the manager.
Characteristics of a socially responsible leader
The leaders today need to be more socially responsible in their approach. There are certain specific characteristics of socially responsible leaders. As per Lyubovnikovaet al.(2017), the socially responsible leaders exhibit intelligent leadership approach. These leaders are compassionate towards their followers and others and also try to be fair to all. The socially responsible leaders are authentic. As per the leadership assignment they are vulnerable and always ready to learn something new. The leaders who are socially responsible find better and effective ways of carrying out their operations. They aim at accomplishing the goals without compromising on the resources of the future. They also try to minimise the harmful effect of their organisational activities on the environment and society. The socially responsible leaders set an example for the followers, in and outside the organisation (Waldman, Siegel & Stahl 2020). According to the leadership assignment these leaders are honest and they make value driven decisions keeping the welfare of the employees, organisation and society in mind. The socially responsible leaders have the ability to understand the value and need for building strong relationships and teams. These leaders are not control freaks. They lead, guide and enlighten the followers. The leaders who are socially and ethically responsible, do not tolerate any violation of the morals and ethical standards. As per the leadership assignment the organisations today expect their leaders to be socially responsible and committed towards the corporate social responsibility (CSR). These leaders often face situations where they need to make difficult changes in their approach and operations. The leaders are not only committed to the CSR but also put in their efforts and hard work to attain the CSR objectives (Tatan&Davoudi 2019). The managers who have leadership qualities transform their organisation, guiding it towards better outcome. As per the leadership assignment the organisations under the leadership of socially responsible individuals grow into better resource stewards and their employees become better citizens of the society. Effective leadership coaching can foster better accomplishment of CSR. The management often fails to give adequate attention towards the role of the organisations in the society. However, leadership development programs should focus on creating socially responsible leaders and organisations. As per Zhao &Zhou (2021), the leadership development programs should not emphasize only in the maximisation of profits, but also look into social responsibility and ethical standards. According to the leadership assignment these responsible leaders can help their organisations to become better and key members of the society who look into social welfare. The socially responsible leaders facilitate bridging the gap between social welfare and profit maximisation. Through leadership coaching in the leadership assignment, the aspiring leaders are conveyed the need for social responsibility. Strong and effective communication helps in conveying these social responsibilities to the employees. The socially responsible leaders can work easily with superiors and peers. They maintain honesty and transparency while dealing with stakeholders of the organisation (Martinez, Sowcik&Bunch 2020). The leaders not only meet their CSR but also motivate others to work towards achievement of the socially responsible objectives.
Conclusion
It can be concluded in this leadership assignment, that all leaders can be managers but all managers are not leaders. Leadership demands more than simply controlling and managing. The leaders need to guide, inspire and motivate the followers. The leaders are also expected to be socially responsible. The effective and good leaders should be able to run the business profitably as well as meet their corporate social responsibilities. The needs of the consumers, clients, employees and other stakeholders should be met by the leader. The place of an organisation in the society should be defined by the leader. As per the leadership assignment the organisation is expected to be a responsible steward of the resources as well as produce responsible citizens in the form of employees.
References
Bonau, S 2017, How to become an inspirational leader, and what to avoid. Journal of Management Development in the leadership assignment.
Kotterman, J 2006, Leadership versus management: what's the difference. The Journal for Quality and Participation, 29(2), p.13.
Maccoby, M 2000. The human side: Understanding the difference between management and leadership. Research-Technology Management, 43(1), pp.57-59.
Lyubovnikova, J,Legood, A, Turner, N &Mamakouka, A 2017, How authentic leadership influences team performance: The mediating role of leadership assignmentteam reflexivity. Journal of business Ethics, 141(1), pp.59-70.
Waldman, D.A, Siegel, D.S & Stahl, G.K 2020. Defining the socially responsible leader: Revisiting issues in responsible leadership. Journal of Leadership & Organizational Studies, 27(1), pp.5-20.
Tatan, S.B &Davoudi, S.M.M 2019. The relationship between socially responsible leadership and organisational ethical climate: in search for the role of leader's relational transparency. International Journal of Business Governance and Ethics, 13(3), pp.275-299.
Zhao, H & Zhou, Q 2021, Socially responsible human resource management and hotel employee organizational citizenship behavior for the environment: A social cognitive perspective in the leadership assignment. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 95, p.102749.
Martinez, N,Sowcik, M.J &Bunch, J.C 2020, The impact of leadership education and cocurricular involvement on the development of socially responsible leadership assignment outcomes in undergraduate students: An exploratory study. Journal of Leadership Education, 19(3), pp.32-43.
Tau, B, Du Plessis, E, Koen, D &Ellis, S 2018, The relationship between resilience and empowering leader behaviour of nurse managers in the mining healthcare sector. Curationis, 41(1), pp.1-10.