Which personal style should managers adopt to ensure success? What is the most effective approach to managing the work of subordinates? These questions have been extensively researched and debated over the last century, and while the general consensus has moved away from ‘command and control’ to management and leadership towards more consultative and participative approaches, there is no single ideal, as the best approach may vary according to circumstances and individual characteristics (CMI 2013).
Currently, the close control of the workforce is not the mainstream of organisational management, insteadly, emphasising on creating an environment of coaching, support and empowerment is increasingly essential within contemporary corporations (Mullins 2013: 369). This blog is going to explore some effective leadership styles and approaches towards current organisations, with the discussion of leadership and management relationship. Some recommendations of being a successful leader will be provides at the end.
The differences between Leadership and Management
Leadership refers to the influence on other people’s behaviour or actions through individual charisma (Mullins 2013: 369), while management means ‘the process of setting and achieving organisational objectives through its functions: forecasting, organisation, coordination, training and monitoring-evaluation’ (Popovici 2012: 126).
Popovici (2012) stated that leadership and management are highly interrelated. Usually, leader and manager can be interchangeable. Both of them require organising and coordinating a team in a specific organisational circumstance with the purpose of accomplishing tasks and goals. Some studies considered that the ‘notion of leading, leadership and management reflecting the same meaning’. However, ‘not all managers can be leaders or all leaders can be managers’ (Popovici 2012: 128).
Management concerns to the prescribed roles in a structured organisation with stated organisational objectives, whereas leadership focuses on interpersonal behaviour that often relates to followers’ willing and enthusiastic behaviours (Mullins 2013: 369). Mullins (2013: 370) also indicated several differences between of them in terms of ‘attitudes towards goals, conceptions of work, relations with others, self-perception and development’:
Overall, Belbin (1997) put forward that ‘there is a clear implication that leadership is not part of the job but a quality that can be brought to a job. The work that leadership encompasses in the context clearly is not assigned but comes about spontaneously’ (cited in Mullins 2013: 269).
Leadership approaches
Figure 1: Action Centred Leadership: Adair’s model (Mullins 2013: 374)
Previously, people would believe that excellent leaders need to be outstanding people with exceptional capabilities and talents. However, Adair did not agree with this opinion (Manage Train Learn 2014).
Functional approach to leadership does not pay attention to leaders’ personality, which is based on the functions of tasks and effective organisational performances. It draws great attention to the successfully training of leaders and the methods of improving the leaders’ performance (Mullins 2013: 373).
Adair’s model of action-centred leadership (Figure 1) is one of important theories of functional approach, which stated that a successful leader is required to meet three areas of demand: the need to achieve tasks, the requirement of team maintenance and individual needs of colleagues. They are associated to each other that the ideal position is generated when integrating all of them. Moreover, this model is developed to present the relationship between leadership and management. Establishing teams and satisfying individual needs involves in leadership, whilst the need of the common task is relevant to the process of management (Mullins 2013:373-374).
With the development of equality thinking, leadership of ‘command and control’ is less the initial powers (Mullins 2013). CBI (2005) claimed that effective leaders, who can motivate their people to realise their individual and collective potential, are the critical factors in a company to achieve the best performances. However, the most excellent approaches of leadership may different based on the environment and personal characteristics (CMI 2008).
There are two successful leaders with successful leadership styles (Nayab 2011) as following:
- Bill Gates
His participative style of leadership and empowerment management help Microsoft and its
flagship brand Windows continuing standing the top of industry.
With the belief of innovation, Gates empowers his employees to innovate in products, process, markets and other area. Moreover, he creates a suitable environment for people to build on their strengths and realise their potential.
- Bob Diamond
After deregulating British financial markets in 1986, only Barclays utilised the best 
opportunity and developed to a global giant, which is benefited to Diamond’s situational leadership.
He believed in making his own luck instead of relying on government funds or other forms of supports. Thus, ‘he combined aggression with caution and took calculated risks’. Finally, Barclays survived the credit crunch without government support and took over the Bankrupt Lehman Brothers exclusive of any accompanying liabilities.
In conclusion, although leadership and management are interrelated, there are still some differences among them. For example, manager will use regulations or procedures to supervise employees, but, leader is more willing to motivate and inspire people to achieve the goals. Adair’s model of action-centred leadership stated that the skills of leadership can be improved through continuing learning with considerations of combining task, team maintenance and individual needs. Bill Gates and Bob Diamond are two successful leaders who led their companies become famous global giants.
References
CBI (2005) The Path to Leadership: Developing a sustainable model within organisations. England: Casplan Publishing Ltd.
CMI (2008) Understanding Management Styles Checklist 236 [online] available from <http://www.managers.org.uk/sites/default/files/u18915/Understanding%20management%20styles%20checklist.pdf> [23 August 2014]
Manage Train Learn (2014) Models of Managemetn: Adair’s Three Circles [online] available from <http://www.managetrainlearn.com/page/adairs-three-circles> [23 August 2014]
Mullins (2013) Management & Organisational Behaviour. Britain: Pearson Education Limited
Nayab, N. (2011) Five Real-World Examples of Successful Leadership [online] available from <http://www.brighthubpm.com/resource-management/120498-five-real-world-examples-of-successful-leadership/> [23 August 2014]
Popovici, V. (2012) ‘Similarities and Differences between Management and Leadership’. Annals of the “Constantin Brâncuşi” University of Târgu Jiu 2, 126-135
culcfengj4 
I really like this blog with clear structure and excellent examples of Ford. But i have a question, what’s the biggest different between leadership and management, which one do you like?
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Thank you for your comment. I think the biggest differences between leadership and management is – the manager will use some rules or regulations to manage people in purpose of achieving some objectives or goals, while leader is wiling to use his/her personal charm such as capabilities or experiences to attract followers. Moreover, everyone can be a leader but not everyone can be a manager and leader is always leader while manager cannot continue being a manager if the organisational structure has changed. by the way, Can you share your opinions of leadership with me ?
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I like your article, I can learn a lot, thank you.
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Thank you for your comment. in my initial opinion, the concepts of leadership and management can be interchangeable and the same. However, after researching many studies, there are some differences that exist. Bill Gates and Bob Diamond are two successful leaders with successful leadership style that lead their company to grow to global giant. do you think Who else can be regarded as successful leaders?
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