leadership vs management

Introduction

What are management and leadership? What is the purpose of studying how to lead a team? Aren’t all leaders born and not made? If that is the truth, then millions of people are wasting their time trying to improve their leadership skills. Fortunately, trying to become a better leader is not a waste of time. While it is true that some leaders are born, most are made by studying what makes an effective leader.

In this introductory unit, you will explore the four pillars of good management: management, leadership, groups, and teams. Management and leadership are often used interchangeably; the same applies for groups and teams. Management is about allocating resources; leadership is about empowering people. A group is a collection of individuals with a similar interest. Teams have a similar goal, but teams work together. A good leader will help a group and become a team

To prepare you for this course, this unit concludes with a look at some great leaders in history. These four individuals are selected for their broad experiences and abilities to manage groups and teams. The spectrum goes from sports team management to inspiring political movements, and from brilliant corporate management to excellence in military and national leadership.

Leadership Theory

Whether your power base is legitimate or otherwise, you may find yourself potentially in a leadership position within a group or team. But what is the difference between a group and a team? This was touched on in the first unit, but further distinction is needed here. Groups are often formed organically. Think about a group of car enthusiasts: they come together because of a similar interest. There may not be an underlying goal other than to share ideas and discuss topics of mutual interest. Teams are formed more strategically. For example, think about a professional sports team; management carefully selects and trains players, and together they work toward the common goal of winning games.

Teams should function in the way a group does: with a more relaxed atmosphere, which will allow each contributor to feel comfortable in his or her role. Maintaining this atmosphere can be difficult, because teams sometimes work in very stressful environments. This is why building a good team with great dynamics is so important and so challenging. A team that functions well together will be more productive than a team that does not have a good dynamic. Thus, this unit will enable you to explore the world of teams and groups. You will learn about the internal processes that underlie team/group formation and maintenance as well as the role of leadership in these types of settings. The unit opens with a discussion of diversity. While the value of diversity in an organization is not restricted to team processes, scholars and business practitioners both agree that team performance is improved by a diverse membership.

As stated throughout, this course will not make you a good leader or member of a team, but it can give you the tools that will help you recognize what makes a team effective and identify the players that serve best as leaders.