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Key Differences

Know the Differences & Comparisons

Difference Between Leadership and Management

leadership vs managementLeadership is a quality of influencing people, so that the objectives are attained willingly and enthusiastically. It is not exactly same as management, as leadership is one of the major element of management. Management is a discipline of managing things in the best possible manner. It is the art or skill of getting the work done through and with others. It can be found in all the fields, like education, hospitality, sports, offices etc.

One of the major difference between leadership and management, is management is for formal and organized group of people only, whereas leadership is for both formal and informal groups. To further comprehend the two concepts, take a read of the given article.

Content: Leadership Vs Management

  1. Comparison Chart
  2. Definition
  3. Key Differences
  4. Conclusion

Comparison Chart

Basis for ComparisonLeadershipManagement
MeaningLeadership is a skill of leading others by examples.Management is an art of systematically organizing and coordinating things in an efficient way.
BasisTrustControl
Emphasis onInspiring PeopleManaging activities
PowerInfluenceRule
Focus onEncouraging changeBringing stability
StrategyProactiveReactive
Formulation of Principles and guidelinesPolicies and Procedures
PerspectiveLeadership requires good foresightedness.Management has a short range perspective.

Definition of Leadership

The skill of leading a group of people and inspiring them towards a direction is known as Leadership. It is an interpersonal process which involves influencing a person or a group, so as to ensure achievement of objectives, willingly and enthusiastically.

It is not a lesson to be taught, but a quality which is possessed by only a few number of people. The person who owns this quality is known as a leader. A leader is someone who has a large number of people following him, as their inspiration. Some examples of leaders, which are born in India are Mahatma Gandhi, Amitabh Bachchan, Kiran Bedi,  Sachin Tendulkar, Saina Nehwal, etc.

Leadership is an activity of guiding and directing people to work together in achieving the objectives. It requires a good vision of thinking across the boundaries.

In an enterprise, you can see a number of leaders who are responsible for the work of their team members. For the achievement of a single objective, the employees of the organisation are divided into teams and each team is assigned a task which they have to complete within the specified time. Each team comprises of a leader who is appointed on the basis of merit cum seniority.

In the business environment, leadership is not only limited to persons, but an organisation can also attain leadership in the market by defeating its competitors. Leadership can be in terms of product, market share, brand, cost, etc.

Definition of Management

The word management is a combination of four terms, i.e. man+age+men+t (technique). In this way, management refers to a technique used by a man for dealing and managing persons (men) of different age group, to work together for achieving a common objective.

Although management is not confined to men only, it incorporates a complete balance of 5M i.e. Men, Money, Material, Machine, and Methods. The person who is in charge of the activities of management in an organisation is known as Manager.

Management Process

Management Process


Now, let’s discuss what management is? And from where it starts? The answer is management starts from your home. All of us have seen our mother taking care of our needs whether they are small or big, maintaining the budget of the household, takes decisions regarding investment or finance, makes plans for our future, keeps a check on our activity, organizes the schedule, guides and motivates us for achieving our career objective etc. that’s all management. These are the functions of Management, i.e. Planning, Controlling, Organizing, Leading & Motivating and Decision Making.

Key Differences Between Leadership and Management

The major difference between leadership and management are as under:

  1. Leadership is a virtue of leading people through encouraging them. Management is a process of managing the activities of the organisation.
  2. Leadership requires trust of followers on his leader. Unlike Management, which needs control of manager over its subordinates.
  3. Leadership is a skill of influencing others while Management is the quality of the ruling.
  4. Leadership demands foresightedness of leader, but Management has a short range vision.
  5. In leadership, principles and guidelines are established, whereas, in the case of management, policies and procedures are implemented.
  6. Leadership is Proactive. Conversely, management is reactive in nature.
  7. Leadership brings change. On the other hand, Management brings stability.

Conclusion

Leadership and Management are inseparable in nature, if there is management, there is leadership. In fact, the qualities of a manager require leadership skills to inspire his subordinate. In an organisation, you can see both management and leadership. There is a manager in a department and a number of leaders who work with their teams in assisting the organisation in the accomplishment of their goals. Many times managers play the role of a leader too, at the demand of the organisation. So they both go side by side as a complement to each other. An organisation needs both for its growth and survival.

Management is all about the arrangement and maintenance of the 5M while leadership is about persuading people in a positive direction for digging out talent in them.

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Comments

  1. Ganesh says

    August 23, 2017 at 8:59 pm

    Thank you Surbhi for making me understand on this topic. ^_^

    Reply
    • Given Kabanze says

      April 6, 2023 at 4:56 pm

      This topic is so inspiring in nature

      Reply
  2. Sylvia says

    April 7, 2018 at 11:18 am

    Thank you for the useful information!

    Reply
  3. Molly esther says

    November 6, 2018 at 6:58 pm

    Thanks a lot for differentiating management and leadership in such a way that I was able to understand it for the first time

    Reply
  4. Chrislain says

    August 19, 2019 at 11:29 am

    Very interesting informations, I have been clarified and I am fully satisfied with what I was looking for.

    Thank you

    Reply
  5. Solomon says

    November 14, 2019 at 11:30 am

    Very good 👍. finally good score in my exam

    Reply
  6. Blessed says

    February 9, 2020 at 3:05 am

    Thanks for a clear and well simplified explanation.

    Reply
  7. Francis Peter Phiri says

    February 20, 2020 at 4:16 pm

    It’s really great to be an academician because you are not left behind in terms of reading. Let’s bang it!

    Reply
  8. Immaculate Meyanui says

    June 4, 2020 at 4:09 am

    Thanks so much for this great work.You have explained in details n simply put the differences in a way that anyone can understand.Gos bless you

    Reply
  9. Bright says

    August 15, 2020 at 11:42 am

    Thank you, the information so clear and understandable !

    Reply
  10. Duty Beauty Gazide says

    October 26, 2020 at 1:37 pm

    Thank you for the usefully information

    Reply
  11. Laureta says

    December 29, 2020 at 12:04 pm

    Thank you so much the informations are very interesting, clear and understandable.

    Reply
  12. malvern says

    January 22, 2021 at 1:56 am

    thank you,this is very helpful

    Reply
  13. Eon says

    January 24, 2021 at 4:07 am

    Thank you so much I have a better understanding about leadership and management 🙏

    Reply
    • leli says

      February 28, 2021 at 3:31 pm

      Thank you so much I have a better understanding about leadership and management keep it up !!!

      Reply
  14. Alice Nkosi says

    February 27, 2021 at 6:58 am

    Thank you, I enjoyed the lesson. Very powerful

    Reply
  15. Themba Mafuyeka says

    February 28, 2021 at 12:53 pm

    Thank you, I have learned a lot about leadership and management

    Reply
  16. Kelvin Sinamakonde says

    August 23, 2021 at 5:15 pm

    While great explanation I fully understand the differences now

    Reply
  17. Duncan says

    September 11, 2021 at 10:01 am

    Thanks for this invaluable information.

    Reply
  18. Paul Onyango Onyisi says

    October 23, 2021 at 2:24 am

    wonderful

    Reply
  19. Betfair Exchange says

    May 30, 2022 at 4:14 pm

    Learned a lot today! Keep up writing some more of this very beneficial content.

    Reply
  20. mbedzi trompppp says

    June 1, 2022 at 7:18 pm

    wonderful

    Reply
  21. stephen seipati says

    June 8, 2022 at 9:28 am

    Good to have this important information
    Thanks

    Reply
  22. Latifa Kisampa says

    July 7, 2022 at 2:12 pm

    Thanks for brief and yet clear information.

    Reply
  23. Liana says

    August 3, 2022 at 12:04 pm

    Thanks for the information

    Reply
  24. zidane says

    December 1, 2022 at 5:15 am

    very clear and good article, easy to understand. Thank you

    Reply
  25. Siad says

    January 30, 2023 at 11:17 am

    Thanks so much

    Reply
  26. Agripa Simwanza says

    May 16, 2023 at 8:19 pm

    Thank you for these wonderful notes, how can I get them in Pdf. All notes covered above.

    Reply
  27. Vikash says

    August 1, 2023 at 4:27 pm

    A perfect article, You have explained it very well.

    Reply
  28. Rosario Galdiano says

    February 19, 2024 at 4:01 pm

    Have gained insights and learnings on leadership and management. Thank you very much. God Bless

    Reply

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