Assessment of leadership and management

 

 

Assessment of leadership and management

Name:

Institution:

 

Leadership is an essential practice in life because it has a direct cause as well as effect association upon and individual or organization and success. Leaders determine and define culture, values, employee motivation and change tolerance. They provide a sense of direction, shape the strategies of an institution and implementation viable strategies. Leaders have certain characteristics and have the ability to influence those that are around them so as to achieve a desirable outcome for a group of people, an organization or and individual. The following section presents my essential elements of leadership and management that The DISC test revealed.

My assessment

According to DISC personality test, I am a dominant D. However, I have a blend of D/S. This means that I am decisive, influential, industrious, helpful and self-Driven. From the test, it can also be concluded that I am organized and possess some leadership skills. I have the capability of leading others and making valuable decisions that can bring about change. I tend to examine critical issues that we discuss with other people by looking at them from different perspectives. Sometimes I make decisions without consulting another person. However, I believe it is important to engage other people in the decision making process when the decision to be made is likely to affect man people. Many people have always said that I am always good in finding amicable solutions to certain problems and making appropriate decisions ( DISC profile, 2017).

The D dominant character indicates that I am resolute, commanding and pioneering. This is another leadership style that I have. I always see the bigger picture and like getting strait to the point when I want to communicate something of great importance to people around me. I usually self –confident and ready to accept challenges.

The S character reveals that I have good listening skills. I like progressive issues that allow me to consume more information. I have a tendency of soothing or influencing other people’s feelings.  I like seeking more information and knowledge regarding an issue, processes of phases so that I can be able to address a problem ( DISC profile, 2017). I value corporation, dependability, and sincerity. Besides, I am a humble, patient, deliberate and accommodative. The Test also reveals that I have good communication, analytical and relational skills.

Leadership and management elements as revealed by the test

• Decisiveness
• The power to influence
• Good communication and interpersonal skills
• Management style: Democratic leadership style
• Self-drive
• Ability to look at the bigger picture.
• Creativity

Difference between leadership and management

Leadership and management have been subject of discussion for a long time. Management focuses on organization, planning, budgeting, and coordination, directing and reporting and is always linked to leadership. To be a good manager one should be a leader. However, management is regarded as a scientific concept. It is argued that management in an art whereby activities are accomplished through the actions of another person. In management, things have to be done promptly.  Scholars state that there are complexities associated with work and hence it is rare to find qualities such as self –awareness, self-motivation. This creates the need for persuasion, skills, and abilities that create change. The aims of management are to maximize output through proper administration.

Leadership is just one of the important component of the directing function.  A leader is a person who makes and executes policies for the management so as to achieve goals and objectives. They have a dynamic vision for the organization, unlike managers who have a mission for a company. Leaders are those that think beyond the limits and have impressive approaches to particular issues (DuBrin, 2015).

Leaders are those who influence people to do an appropriate action while managers influence people to do any action. Thus, most managers follow or use directional approaches instead of participative approaches. Leaders have followers while managers have subordinates. Subordinates ought to adhere to the instruction that is given by their managers while followers are inspired of influenced by their leaders.

Although there is a link between leadership and management, the relationship is not automatic since there are specific managerial functions that are not part of qualities of leadership. (Weathersby, 1999).  Some writers argue that leaders are creators of vision while managers implement the same vision. Thus the role of a leader is to come up with a path, while managers follow the path that has already been created.

Managers have the role of taking risks so that they can gain a short-term outcome. On the other hand, leaders take risks founded on long-term achievements. The management focuses on day today activities or transactions that affect the set objectives while leaders pay attention to future outcome based on the past results

Leaders focus on motivating people. They exercise democratic leadership styles by allowing employees to participate in the decision-making process which makes them feel that they are part of the organization (Burke & Collins, 2001). They use good communication skills to encourage their followers to do various tasks (Weathersby, 1999). There is a difference between the king of motivation provided by a manager and a leader.  For instance, managers need finance or money to motivate workers, but leaders don’t need money to influence workers.

 

References

Weathersby, G. B. (1999). Leadership vs. management. Management Review, 88(3), 5.

Burke, S., & Collins, K. M. (2001). Gender differences in leadership styles and management skills. Women in Management Review, 16(5), 244-257.

DuBrin, A. J. (2015). Leadership: Research findings, practice, and skills. Nelson Education.

DISC profile ( 2017) https://discpersonalitytesting.com/free-disc-test/show-work-results/