Leadership and Management
Manager – The person responsible for setting objectives, organising resources and motivating workers so
that the objectives of the business are met.
Management – The organisation and coordination of activities in order to achieve the defined objectives of
the business.
Leadership: It is the art of motivating a group of people towards achieving a common
objective.
Leadership is a key part of being a successful manager. It involves setting a clear direction
and vision for an organization. Employees will want to follow a good leader and will
respond positively to them.
A poor leader will often fail to win over staff and will have problems communicating with and organizing
workers effectively.
Effective leaders have the following traits:
I. Desire to succeed and natural self-confidence that they will succeed.
II. Ability to think beyond the obvious- to be creative and to encourage others to do the same.
III. Multi-talented so that they can understand discussions about a wide range of issues affecting their
business.
IV. Incisive mind that enables the heart of an issue to be identified rather than unnecessary details.
The Role of Managers: Fayol and Mitzberg
1. Fayol – Functions of Management
Defined five functions of management as follows;
i. Planning – Action plan for business future.
ii. Organising resources to meet objectives
iii. Commanding, directing and motivating employees.
iv. Coordinating activities
v. Controlling and measuring performance against targets.
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2. Mintzberg: Management Roles
-Criticised Fayol’s management functions holding that, they do not describe the actual work of managers.
They describe vague objectives of managerial work.
-He summed up management roles into ten functions as shown:
Management Styles
Management styles: It refers to the way in which managers take decisions and communicate with their
staff. There are four distinct management styles.
These are:
I. Autocratic ( or authoritarian)
II. Democratic
III. Paternalistic
IV. Laissez-faire.
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McGregor’s Theory X and Theory Y
McGregor’s Theory X and Theory Y
According to Douglas McGregor, as a result of his studies in the 1950s, one of the most important
determinants of the style of leadership is the attitude of managers towards their workers.
He identified two distinct management approaches to the workforce and he called these: Theory X and
Theory Y.
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Significance of McGregor’s work
It is a widely quoted piece of research. The general view is that workers will behave in a particular way as a
result of the attitudes management have towards them. For instance, if a manager believes that all workers
behave in a Theory X way, there will be:
Control;
Close supervision and,
No delegation of authority.
The staff, as a result of this approach, will almost certainly not enjoy their work and may indeed try to avoid
it and fail to contribute in any meaningful way.
Therefore, they will become like Theory X because of the way they are treated. The exact reverse could be
the case for workers treated in a more democratic style, based on the Theory Y view.