To lead or to manage?

Principal differences
Managers Vs. Leaders

• The manager maintains the stablished order; the leader develops new ideas to change how things are being done.
• The manager focuses on procedures and policies; the leader focuses on moving  people toward a common vision.
• The manager accepts the existing context; the leader analyzes it to produce plans and visions.
• The manager accepts the status quo; the leader challenges it.

´´The manager has his or her eye always on the bottom line; the leader has his or her eye on the horizon´´

(Bennis, W.G,1989)

To lead or to manage?

http://emmanuelarivera.blogspot.com/2011_02_20_archive.html

According to John P. Kotter, author of ´´on what leaders really do´´(Kotter,J.P,1990), Most companies in the United States are being over managed and underled, and even if good management brings order, control and consistency to the firm,  the  creative mind and spontaneity that leaders possess  are also needed. Organizations and societies need both, leaders and managers. The idea is for both, inventiveness and order to go hand in hand.  

Theories of leadership style

Behavioral theories:

*Authoritarian: classic approach

·         managers make all the important decisions

·         managers don´t trust employees

·         managers simply give orders and control workers

*Consultative:

·         Managers show interest about worker´s needs

·         Managers takes into account the ideas and interests of workers

·         The manager is however the one that makes decisions

*Democratic:

·         Participative style

·         Decision making responsibilities are shared b/t managers and followers

*Laissez-Faire:

·         Managers give employees as much freedom as possible.

  

Contingency theories:

*Path goal theory:

·         Followers accept the behavior of the leader only if they perceive that positive results can be achieved immediately or in the near future

*Normative decision model:

·         The inventors of the model, Vroom and Yetton defined 5 decision methods. Two of them are autocratic, two are consultative and the other one is group based

*Situational leadership theory:

·         This theory ,in simple words, explains that successful leaders adapt their leadership style to the people that they are leading, they don´t have a predominant style.

New research in leadership...

Transformational leaders	Charismatic leaders	Authentic leaders
Aim to transform followers	They use their positive self-image and their   ´´charm´´ to make people follow them	Leaders that lead with their hearts and have high moral standards
T. leaders have high ideals and charisma	Charisma: an invisible magnet that attracts people	They emphasize collective interest

Question for the blog…

Do you (or would you want to) work in an autocratic, democratic, or consultative work Environment? What might be the advantages and disadvantages of each?

I would like to work in a democratic environment, in which my opinions and ideas are listened and taken into account, because In that way I could feel that I am an important active part of the system and not only an observer. Autocratic environments might be useful in situations in which decisions have to be made quickly or in stressful situations where discipline is necessary, but it has many drawbacks:  It doesn´t allow employees to be creative, employees may feel scared and not valued (or maybe for some employees fear may be a great motivator, let´s remember theory X and Y), and more important this type of leadership may prevent great ideas that could improve the company´s performance from becoming known. A consultative environment could make employees feel more valued as they are allowed to express their ideas, but they could feel rejected if the manager decides to go his own way, finally, a democratic environment has many advantages: organizations can benefit from the knowledge of participants, communication is encouraged to flow freely, and creativity and innovation is promoted. On the other hand, the decision making process becomes slow and sometimes inefficient, managers should create ways of dealing with conflict and disagreement and it may be time consuming.

References

Business dictionary. Path goal theory definition (Online). Retrieved on May 16, 2011.Available at:http://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/path-goal-theory.html

Bennis, W. G. (1989). On becoming a leader. Reading, MA: Addison-Wesley.

Leader chicken guiding others. (Image).
http://emmanuelarivera.blogspot.com/2011_02_20_archive.html

Kotter, J. P. (2001). What Leaders Really Do. Harvard Business Review, 79(11), 85-96. Retrieved from EBSCOhost. Accesed on: May 16, 2011