Leadership versus Management

For any organization to succeed, whether it is a small local business or a global enterprise, both Management and Leadership are essential.

While in the last couple of years, the subject of Leadership has received a lot of attention from business writers and speakers, it goes hand in hand with Management.

Our definition of Management is to create competent, productive employees. Make sure that the employees know exactly what to do, that they have adequate resources and training to do the job and finally make sure that they know how we will measure their performance.

On the leadership side, there are many styles such as, Transactional Leadership, Servant Leadership, Coaching Leadership and Transformational Leadership. Ultimately, we believe that Leadership is all about passion and focus. It needs to cover the Culture and the Vision of the organization. This is not a job that the person in charge of the organization can delegate.

Another important part of Leadership is Communication. The leader needs to communication periodically with the organization. Nowadays it is easy to do; they can do it in writing, in video or in person. Regular communication is especially important in times of turmoil.

Finally, Leadership must congratulate those that are doing a good job. A little praise or thank you will go a long way.

For smaller businesses, the general manager is also the owner and has to wear both hats of leadership and management. This is not an easy task, as we tend to veer into the one and then the other without consciously realizing which responsibility we are exercising at that moment.  Having clarity for the general manager/owner on their roles and responsibilities is a great start.

Arthur Rosaria is the Senior Partner of ActionCOACH Dutch Caribbean, with offices in Aruba, Bonaire and Curacao.