Enjoying Your Work
Enjoying Your Work
Management
and leadership
are necessary in
the workplaceHaving graduated with a degree in engineering, Mike Yamasato went to work for a construction firm in Honolulu five years ago. Until recently, he had been under the supervision of different engineers who were 10 to 15 years older.
Last week, he received a promotion to a position where he would supervise a staff of 12 people. Some of his old bosses congratulated him and added, "Welcome to the ranks of management."
At his first meeting with other supervisors, most of the discussion dealt with different leadership issues. Not having taken business courses in college, Mike was unclear about the distinctions between management and leadership.
Mike's confusion is understandable since the words "management" and "leadership" are often used interchangeably. When careful distinctions are made, management is the broader term. Managers plan for the future and take steps to ensure that the necessary information is available for good decision making. They organize the people over whom they have supervisory responsibilities and make certain that procedures are in place for hiring, staff development, promotions and communications with potential customers. They oversee control procedures to ensure that projects are completed on schedule and that customers are being given the highest quality work possible. Managers also lead people, taking people in directions that will benefit them and the company for which they work.
Leadership is often the most discussed aspect of management. Leadership issues arise most often in times of rapid change, increased competition and major changes in a community's economic outlook. Leaders take followers in new directions, toward goals that are set through participatory decision making. Leaders must have the highly desirable skills of communicating clearly with followers and instilling confidence that the goals are achievable if all work together. Leaders must earn the trust of followers.
Both good management and good leadership are necessary. Management tasks may not seem as glamorous, but they are essential to the smooth functioning of a company. Examples include meeting payrolls, pairing new hires with experienced workers who are willing to be mentors and responding to office memos in a timely fashion. At times, charismatic leaders with an inspired vision are not successful because of inattention to the everyday tasks of managers. In such cases, leaders should have the self-insight to recognize their weaknesses and should take appropriate steps. For example, they might hire strong administrative assistants who can carry out assigned managerial tasks that the leaders themselves might mishandle.
Richard Brislin is a professor in the College of Business Administration,
University of Hawaii. He can be reached through the
College Relations Office: cro@cba.hawaii.edu