Roles and Characteristics of a Leader and a Manager

Management & Operations
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Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................3
TASK 1............................................................................................................................................3
P1 Define and compare different roles and characteristics of a leader and a manager...............3
TASK 2............................................................................................................................................6
P2 Examine examples of how the role of a leader and the function of a manager apply in
different situational contexts........................................................................................................6
P3 Apply different theories and models of approach, including situational leadership, systems
leadership and contingency..........................................................................................................7
TASK 3............................................................................................................................................9
P4 Explain the key approaches to operations management and the role that leaders and
managers play..............................................................................................................................9
P5 Explain the importance and value of operations management in achieving business
objectives...................................................................................................................................11
TASK 4..........................................................................................................................................12
P6 Assess the factors within the business environment that impact upon operational
management and decision-making by leaders and managers....................................................12
CONCLUSION..............................................................................................................................14
REFERENCES..............................................................................................................................15
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INTRODUCTION
Leadership refers to the process of influencing someone’s behaviour to get desired results
whereas management refers to the art of getting things done. In the following project report, an
attempt has been made to compare the roles of a leader and a manager and examining the
application of their roles in different situational contexts. Various theories and approaches of
leadership and management are being discussed and evaluated in the report such as systems
leadership, management by objectives and situational leadership. An attempt has also been made
to evaluate the various approaches of operational management and determine the importance and
value of operational management in achieving business objectives. At last, the report aims to
evaluate and assess various factors which are present in the business environment of an
organisation which influence and impact the process of operational management and managerial
decision-making.
TASK 1
P1 Define and compare different roles and characteristics of a leader and a manager.
Leader and manager are two different terms which are very likely to be used
interchangeably and as a synonym of one another. It has always been presumed that the two
terms are similar and don’t have any difference and can be used in place of each other
(Crawford, 2014). However, leadership and management are two very different fundamental
concepts which makes the function and role of managers and leaders also very different. A
manager is a person who is responsible for organising, controlling and utilising the resources of
an organisation to accomplish the goals and objectives whereas a leader is a person who has the
primary responsibility of leading a group of people or giving them direction for achievement of
the group vision (Ibrahim and Cordes, 1996). Managers has people working for him and a leader
has people who follow him. Leadership is concerned with getting people to willingly work for
achieving a common vision while management is more related with administering and ensuring
that day-to-day operations are being executed smoothly.
Differences between a manager and a leader:
Manager Leader
A manager is responsible for setting the
objectives of a company.
A leader has the responsibility of encouraging
the employees to achieve those objectives.
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A manager has subordinates. A leader has followers
Management style is usually authoritarian. Leadership is more motivational.
A manager focuses on the goals and objectives
of the organisation.
A leader has the primary focus on workforce
and the employees of the company.
A manager communicates the organisational
policies to the leader.
A leader communicates and encourages the
workforce to work as per the policies.
A manager has the main responsibility of
planning the changes in the organisation.
A leader is responsible for implementation of
changes and plans made by the managers.
A manager is a person who directs the
employee of the company to work
A leader is a person who motivates and
encourages the employees to work.
Functions of a manager and role of a leader in the organisation:
A manager of any organisation has very different role and functions which basically help
in utilising the resources of the organisation to attain predetermined goals and objectives (Fayol
2016). On the other hand, a leader of an organisation has an important role to play in ensuring
the effectiveness of management functions. Functions of a manager and the role of a leader in
those functions is being described as follows:
Planning: Setting the goals and objectives and mapping out the business activities of an
organisation for a certain period is one of the most important function of a manager and a leader
has an important role to play in ensuring collective efforts and support for achieving the goals
and objectives which have been determined by the managers.
Organising: A manager has the responsibility of organising the resources and activities
which are required for the achievement of organisational goals but a leader ensures that these
resources are being used by the employees in an effective manner and motivates them to achieve
efficiency in the business operations.
Directing: Managers in an organisation perform the function of directing the tasks and
responsibilities of all the members and employees and leaders play an important role in
development and creation of a team and directing the team on how to perform the tasks which
have been assigned to them.
Controlling: Controlling refers to monitoring and evaluating the performance of the
employees as per the established standards and benchmarks of performance to identify any
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