Please assist me with a discussion response on the following What personal capac
ID: 428611 • Letter: P
Question
Please assist me with a discussion response on the following
What personal capacities should a person develop to be a good leader versus those
developed to be a good manager?
A good leader needs to be a good coach, provide empowerment to a team, limit
micromanaging, express genuine personal interest in persons on the team, and be an
effective communicator, while still having a clear vision and strategy for the team. Personal life
coaches and networking with other professionals in organizational societies help leaders stay
on top. My personal experience with leadership in a cpa firm is that often the best manager is
typically, a great leader. The other managers are good however the leader takes the work
experience to another level. The other managers adapt their style to the leader. Subordinates such
as senior’s and supervisor’s measure their performance by the leader’s acceptance of ideas.
In contrast, a good manager needs to put the work in place for the team members to
succeed at their position. A good manager writes designs for the existing business model. A
manager often excels at the routine of a company to make it efficient. My personal experience
is that a manager is often good at determining what levels of ability employees are at any
moment in an organization. Good managers are great at mapping the process and making
adjustments to make the work process better.
Why do you think there are so few people who succeed at both Management and
Leadership?
While there are a number of managers that are able to lead a team effectively or manage
the employees, surprisingly there are only a few managers that can handle management and
leadership. Leaders with management skills are providing a vision which is budget focused while
positively impacting the corporation financially, socially and economically. A leader and
manager is also able to organize resources and staff to effectively carry on the vision while
providing opportunities for growth and learning through networking and flexibility. A leader and
manager invests in intangibles and people while focusing on specific goals and developing trust
in the organization to get things completed. A leader and manager is open to change and willing
to listen, provide feedback, show employees heart regarding their personal lives. A
leader and manager fosters the culture of change. Change is necessary for efficiency, when done
with openness, honesty, and the importance to the corporation’s growth. My personal experience
in a cpa firm is being reassured by a leader and manager in a moment of crisis I made the type of
decision they would have made. Everyone else distanced themselves from me.
Is it reasonable to believe someone can be good at both?
I absolutely believe someone can be good at both however it is typically five percent or
less of members of an organization that could be a leader and manager. The difference that
separates the leader and manager from others is willingness to do whatever is necessary in order
to provide guidance and elevate the organization to the next level. Often the manager has
elements in their life that matter to them as much or more than the organization that do not allow
them to be a great leader and manager.
Describe the best leader you have known. How did this leader acquire his or her
capability?
Jack Welch’s charismatic demeanor and appreciation for others helped him grow into a
leader within General Electric. Jack has retired however he received capability from humility,
integrity and respect. His capability also came from putting others before himself for the
betterment of the organization. I could identify with him as I was raised not far from his
childhood home. I was impressed with his theory of the top and bottom ten percent of an
organization need to be removed. Often these employees are capable however the
organization can no longer help them. Jack made bold moves and changes to take General
Electric to new heights and this was done with his work ethic and the understanding that the
customer comes first. Jack’s continuous ability to make improvements in his leadership with
others and himself is why he became a premier leader.
References
Daft, R. L. (2017). The Leadership Experience. 7th Edition. Boston, MA: Cengage Learning
S.Toor, G. Ofori (2008). Leadership versus Management: How they are different and why
Source: Leadership and Management in Engineering
Explanation / Answer
1) To become a good leader, one should lead his team from front. He should be able to solve the problems his team is facing. He should be able to clearly inform his colleagues or team about the vision and goals of his organization. For his team to believe in him, he should first set examples for others, be honest in his work and with others. He should be an inspiration to his team and he must be able to inculcate the same sense in his team effectively. He must be ready to face all challenges with all his courage, that are coming in the middle of their working and be able to steer his team out of that successfully. He should be able to effectively communicate with his colleagues regarding what they need to do, what corrections/amendments they need to make in their routine and to inform him about any problems they are facing in their job. Good Managers are those who act as per the vision of the organization and prepare a roadmap to be followed by the working team. He put all the available resources available with him, to use and assign work to the personnel according to their qualifications and working abilities. He forms some inner rules and procedures himself and guides his team to work according to them and for achievement of better results. He supervises the work of his team and provide necessary guidance as and when required and also look after their grievances and needs.
2) I think that there are few people who succeed at both management and leadership as many may not possess the quality or ability to do both effectively. Leadership is a skill and it does not come by learning or by any education. Leaders are able to guide their team. However, management is an activity and managers mostly follow the rules that are already put in place. While a manager is much closer to his team but a leader may not be directly associated with the team. Managers tend to follow the rules and they may not be able to take frequent decisions that are needed at some instance of time as they fear to do so as they are bond to the organization's rules.
3) A good leader and manager must not only be able to manage his team but also should be able to take any decision in the favour of the organization. They must be able to steer their teams through any situations and take individual decisions on their own for the betterment of their organization as well as for their team. Though the number of such people are very less as their organization and their rules may not allow them to work as their will, but still there are such people who have it in them and such people are forged by the necessities and experience.
4) The best leader I have known is Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru. He was the first Prime Minister of independent India. There were many challenges posed by him after independence from the British. There was poverty, confusion and sense of fear among most of the population. However, through his charismatic leadership and some good and socially effective decisions, he started to build a new nation. Though his approach was cautious, he put nation and its citizens first and adopted mixed economy in the country as he don't wanted the society to be monetorily controlled by a few businessmen. Nehru has contributed a lot to make India prosper and we may thank his vision, due to which India today stands at a strategically and politically important place in the world scenario.