Roles and Characteristics of a Leader and a Manager

This document discusses the roles and characteristics of a leader and a manager in an organization. It explores the importance of leadership and management in achieving business objectives. The document also provides an overview of different leadership theories and models, including situational leadership, systems leadership, and contingency.

Management
&
Operations

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1
TASK 1............................................................................................................................................1
P1: Define and compare the different roles and characteristics of a leader and a manager........1
P2: Examine examples of how the role of a leader and the function of a manager apply in
different situational contexts.......................................................................................................5
TASK 2............................................................................................................................................6
P3: Apply different theories and models of approach, including situational leadership, systems
leadership and contingency.........................................................................................................6
TASK 3............................................................................................................................................8
P4: Explain the key approaches to operations management and the role that leaders and
managers play.............................................................................................................................8
P5: Explain the importance and value of operations management in achieving business
objectives....................................................................................................................................9
TASK 4..........................................................................................................................................10
P6: Assess the factors within the business environment that impact upon operational
management and decision-making by leaders and managers...................................................10
CONCLUSION .............................................................................................................................11
REFERENCES..............................................................................................................................12

INTRODUCTION
Operations management is concerned with planning and controlling the manufacturing
process and the reorganising operations of the business in the production of goods and services.
In simple words, business operations that are to managed by the management of the organisation
for which management functions- planning, organising, staffing, directing and controlling are
performed. Management is a task which consists of process which focuses on goal achievement.
Every organisation works on the basis of a plan and the techniques to execute it. The managerial
process involves the recognition of objectives and targets of the company and the ways to
achieve them. According to G.R. Terry, “management is a distinct process consisting of
planning, organising, actuating and controlling, performed to determine and accomplish stated
objectives by the use of human beings and other resources”. This report is in the context of
Barclays. Barclays is a British multinational company which is an investment bank and also
provides financial services headquartered in London, England. The following report includes the
roles and work of a leader and a manager, roles of managers and leaders on basis on some
organisation's situations and some more topics related to management of operations.
TASK 1
P1: Define and compare the different roles and characteristics of a leader and a manager.
LEADERS:
Leader is a person who helps with proper guidance, instructions, directions and
leadership to an individual or a group of individuals for the purpose to acheive organisational
goals and objectives. It is the responsibility of the leader to monitor the quantity as well as the
quality achievements of the team and report it to the managers(Burns, 2018). Usually, the leader
works within the team as a member with the additional responsibilities of a leader.
MANAGER
Manager is a person in the organisation who is responsible for developing and carrying
the management process. In simple words, manager is a person responsible for controlling or
administering an organisation or a group of staff.
Leaders V/s Managers:
Basis Leaders Managers
1

Position Leaders don't necessarily hold a
management position.
A manager is a member of an
organisation and holds a management
position.
Role The most important role of a leader
is to provide a clear and
compelling direction.
Manager has a responsibility of
carrying out the management
functions- planning, organising,
leading and controlling.
Essentials of a good leader:
A good leader possesses some good qualities. These are:
 Communication: An effective leader is not just a good influencer but also a good
communicator who knows how to talk to each subordinate at the time when problem
arises (Reid and Sanders, 2019). A good leader knows how to handle a situation
effectively and efficiently.
 Self-awareness: Leaders who are self-aware have the capability to see themselves with
crystal-clear eyes. They are able to appreciate and identify their strengths, and just as
importantly, they are able to identify their vulnerabilities (Barnes, 2018). By being self-
aware, a leader is able to put forward their strengths and lean into those abilities.
 Influence: The most difficult work of a leader is to influence and inspire others. It can
only be possible by setting a good example in front of the subordinates.
 Delegation and Empowerment: An effective leader has duty of to delegate work.
Delegation in leadership not only helps getting things done, but it also empowers
employees by giving them greater autonomy(Yan, 2018). None of the leaders can
perform all tasks at all times, and delegation is a key tool for boosting team's morale and
organizational performance and efficiency.
ROLE OF A LEADER:
There are 5 kinds of roles of a good leader. These are as follows:
1. The Motivator: Motivation can vary from person-to-person. The motivator influences
others to act in an advantageous manner.
2

2. The Mentor: Guidance in the right direction is necessary to succeed. A mentor provides
the mentee with a basis to be successful. This type of leader is a perfect asset for an
organisation.
3. The Learner: Self-Development is necessary in every field of life whether professional or
personal. The learner is someone who constantly increases and develops his/her
knowledge and skills to assist the organisation achieve its goals and objectives.
4. The Communicator: Good communication makes a good leader. Being a good
communicator is an important skill a leader should possess. The communicator is a type
of leader that hears effectively, understands it and communicate effectively and
meaningful.
5. The Navigator: Actions initiated are to support targets. Building certain objectives directs
the organisation in an effective direction. The navigator acts as a compass who creates a
vision for the organisation with a motive of accomplishing the mission.
FUNCTIONS OF MANAGERS
There are five functions of a manager: Planning, Decision-Making, Organising,
leading(Directing) and Controlling. It can be explained as follows:
1. Planning: Planning means ascertaining organisational goals and deciding how to
accomplish them. Decision-making is a part of the planning process which involves
choosing or selecting a course of action from a set of options (Chary, 2017). Planning
and making decisions help maintain effectiveness of managers by serving as guides for
future tasks. The company like Barclays might have not been existed if there was no
proper planning before establishment.
2. Decision-making: Decision-making can be defined as choosing from alternative courses
of action. Planning is the means of converting a thought into a reality that is, ascertaining
the objectives and goals of the organisation and the means of attaining them (Paton, and
et. al., 2020). Planning involves making decisions about a course of action and
establishing priorities related to the action. Every organisation undergo lots of decisions
as these decisions are for the betterment of the company same applies for Barclays.
3. Organising: Organising and directing an endeavour require that managers form patterns
of relationships among people and other resources that work to produce an outcome or
accomplish a common goal or objective (Clemm, Zhani and Boutaba, 2020). Organising
3

and directing is related to the flow of work in an organisation under someone’s guidance.
Organising is one of the management functions which is essential in every organisation
as proper organising can lead to success and the managers of Barclays focuses on
fulfilling the function of organising to ensure better functioning and growth.
4. Leading: Leadership is necessary if organisational goals are to be achieved. Once the
organisation process is completed, all management has to do is to assign different people
in their respective roles. At this point, managers should engage in what people in
organisation consider the hardest part of the management process — leading. A manager
of every organisation has some functions to perform and one of those is Leading which
is very much important to be performed by him and in a company like Barclays, the
manager should perform this to make sure every employee in the firm is motivated and
eager to work.
5. Controlling: The last and the final phase of the management process is controlling.
Controlling involves taking apt actions to assure that organisational goals and objectives
are planned and carried out, i.e., the firm achieves maximum effectiveness (Slack, 2018).
In simple terms, controlling helps ensure the effectiveness and efficiency needed for
successful management. All the activities and tasks are controlled by the managers of
Barclays as this will proper and smooth functioning of the organisation.
Path-Goal Theory of Leadership:
The path-goal theory defines that a leader’s behaviour is contingent to the motivation,
performance and satisfaction of the employees. Whereas, the manager’s job is to guide the
workers to choose the best paths to accomplish goals and objectives of the organisation.
MANAGEMENT FUNCTIONS
There are some management functions given by Sir Henry Fayol. The management
functions are to followed by the managers to ensure effective and efficient functioning of the
organisation. The four management functions are:
1. Planning: A plan is something that every organisation needs to function. Because,
without a plan the organisation would have no clue on what they are working on. It is one
of the main and primary role of a manager. This also involves allocating employee
resources and delegating responsibilities as well as setting realistic timelines and
standards for completion.
4

2. Organising: Barclays manager's organisational skills help to ensure a company to
function smoothly and effectively. From running internal processes and structures to
know which individual or a group of employees are suitable for certain tasks, and to keep
everything and everyone organised throughout the daily functions.
3. Leading: Managers of Barclays should be confident and comfortable while commanding
the team members as well as at the time of challenges. This involves projecting a strong
sense of leadership and direction whilst setting goals and communicating new processes,
products and services, or an internal policy.
4. Controlling: A manager of Barclays should ensure that all the above functions of
management are working towards the success of the organisation. Managers should also
consistently monitor the performance of the employees, quality work and the efficiency
and reliability of the completed work.
P2: Examine examples of how the role of a leader and the function of a manager apply in
different situational contexts.
Both leaders and managers play a different but important role in an organisation. A leader
helps in taking better decisions and motivating the employees. A decision is taken on the basis of
the organisation's performance and the market conditions and trends. An organisation goes
through several situations like slow growth, technology advancement, etc. To cope up, managers
change their approach and style of handling the situation. Along with this, different leadership
styles are applied by the leaders working in Barclays. Below are some situations:
 Slow growth: A situation arose in Barclays when development and growth were slow.
The slow growth in the company resulted in delayed projects and reduction in profits and
in the annual revenue. Due to the situation, there were some changes that were made to
improve the condition of the company. Here, the leaders of Barclays play an important
role by taking some important decisions to motivate the workforce. Managers of Barclays
handled this situation by following the important management functions and following a
different plan for achieving the goals and objective.
 Technological Advancement: Today, Advancement in technology is a situation which a
company has to deal on a regular basis. Discovery or innovation in the field of
technology is very much common and happens regularly in every field whether banking
or retail. In order to cope with the technological changes, Barclays should be aware of the
5

recent changes in the technical field. Thereafter, the managers of Barclays decided to
adopt and plan the technological advancement for the betterment of the organisation. The
leaders helped in influencing and training the subordinates in such a way that the
employees can use the updated technology easily and efficiently.
 Change in government policies: There are several outer situations that a company needs
to handle. After the Covid 19, there are lots of changes made by the government of UK
in the taxation policies. There was a change in VAT (Value Added Tax) rate. As an
investment bank, Barclays had to follow the guidelines and the new rules & regulations
given by the government of the UK. After the change of government policies, the
managers of the Barclays made sure that the accounting and all the cost budgets are made
on the basis of the changed government policies.
 Semantic Barriers: This is an internal problem of an organisation which involves barriers
or obstacles while communicating which results in misunderstanding between the sender
and the receiver which arises due to more than one meaning of words and use of other
symbols or gestures used in the conversation. Managers played an important role in the
removal of semantic barriers among the employees by using the ask for review method
which will tell if the subordinate understood the given message or not. Leaders also
influenced the subordinates by making them understand how to decode a certain message
and give an apt reply.
TASK 2
P3: Apply different theories and models of approach, including situational leadership, systems
leadership and contingency.
There are different kinds of leadership models and theories that are used in almost every
organisation that exist in the market:
Situational Leadership theory
Situational Leadership theory is a model created by Paul Hersey and ken Blanchard. This
theory states that no single leadership is best suited for any organisation as it depends totally on
the kind of task. According to the theory, the most effective leaders are those that are able to
change their approach according to the situations and conditions in the organisation. This theory
of leadership is often referred to as Hersey-Blanchard Situational Leadership Theory. This
6

situational model focuses on flexibility such that leaders are able to adapt according to the needs
of their followers and the demands of the situation. The situational approach to leadership also
avoids the consequences of the single-style approach by identifying that there are many different
ways of dealing with a problem and that leaders need to be able to assess a situation and the
maturity levels of subordinates in order to ascertain what approach will be the most effective at
any given moment. In the context of Barclays, Leaders in the company don't have any fixed
leadership style that means they have to switch the style of leadership according to the current
scenario or the situation.
Systems Leadership Theory:
Systems leadership is a set of abilities and capacities that any individual or organization
can use to catalyse, enable and support the process of systems-level change. It combines
coalition-building, collaborative leadership and insight of system to mobilize creative creation
and action across a large & decentralized network. The systems leadership approach is best
suitable to challenging situations that require collective actions, where no single entity is in
control. However, the approach is complex – involving huge costs of transactions, equivocal
outputs and long time frames. It is best applied to complex situations that cannot be solved
through more direct means. There are situations that exist even in the company like Barclays
where the leaders have to use System Leadership Theory when leaders can't solve the situation or
the problem using direct methods.
Contingency Theory of Leadership:
Leader's effectiveness is contingent on how the leader's leadership style deals with the
situation. The leader should find out what kind of leadership style and situation the leader
prospers in. There is nothing like a best style of leadership. A leader is considered to be effective
if his style of leadership ensures results for the business problem.
The Fiedler Model:
The first broad contingency model for leadership. The model states that effective
leadership and group performance depends upon the proper match between the leader's style and
the degree to which the situation can be controlled by the leader. Least Preferred Co-worker
(LPC) questionnaire: identify that style by evaluating whether a person is task or relationship
oriented. The LPC questionnaire asks respondents to think of a co-worker they least enjoyed
working and rate that person on a scale of 1 to 8 for each of 16 sets of contrasting adjectives.
7

Relationship oriented means if a respondent describes a person in favourable terms (a high LPC
score). And Task oriented person means, if a respondent describes a person in unfavourable
terms(low LPC score). Fiedler assumes an individual's leadership style is fixed. This means if a
scenario requires a task-oriented leader and the person in the leadership position is relationship
oriented, either the situation has to be modified or the leader has to be replaced.
TASK 3
P4: Explain the key approaches to operations management and the role that leaders and managers
play.
There are some approaches currently used in an organisation to understand management
of the operations better. These approaches help in studying the situation in the organisation and
taking actions accordingly. These approaches are explained below:
1. Just-in-Time: This approach helps to focus on the process of production. The production
process is to be completed on time with the alloted tasks. This assists in gaining the
results earlier in planning. By reducing the wastage of resources and using them to its
100%, the process can become just-in-time. Moreover, machinery and tools are being
taken care so as to make the production correct with forecasted outcomes. In the context
of Barclays, the role of the leader is to analyse the needs and desire of the employees and
to motivate them in accordance and the role of the manager is to recruit the skilled and
talented candidate so as to assign them on the vacancy. The manager has to assign the
right person at the right place at the right time.
2. TQM: Total Quality Management is the process which helps in planning to succeed in the
long run. The success results for the long run helps in earning huge profits. This also
helps in preserve the quality along with the price of the product and services offered by
Barclays. The Leaders of the company have to work on enhancing the capabilities and
productivity of the employees and the managers have to manage the resource according
to their skills and capabilities.
3. Lean Production: The theory states the best methods to be used to get the results or
output. The output is affected by several factors. One of the most important factors used
to get the forecasted output is to reduce wastage by using the resources according to its
capacity and its potential. The managers and leaders make the employees aware of the
8

efficient use of resources and to reduce the wastage. The method improves the
productivity of work and helps the employees to improve the skills. In the context of
Barclays, the leaders of the company has to take care of the path and show it to the
employees so that they can work according to the plan and achieve the desired results and
the managers of Barclays have to look after the activities to be completed on time along
with the desired results.
P5: Explain the importance and value of operations management in achieving business
objectives.
In an organisation, the value and importance of the management of operations are to be
understood so as to achieve the coveted results. Barclays has to measure and analyse the
importance and value of the operations manager in attaining business objectives.
Increasing Revenue: Operations management helps in increasing the ratio of the profits
and evaluating it. The increase in the profit help expanding the business in different areas and to
capture another part of the market. Profit increment results in setting of new targets and attaining
them.
Trends in the market: Everyday some or the other trends originate in the market. These
trends are important in the market. Barclays has to take some measures according to these trends
such that products and services can be produced and customers can be satisfied. Furthermore, it
also helps in holding the employees for the longer period of time.
Increasing Sale: Operations management assists in increasing sale of the product and
services by conducting a research about the new methods and gaining competitive advantages.
The managers and leaders both play an important role in Barclays. This relationship of
the managers and the leaders helps the organisation to meet out the coveted outcome and to use
the resources according to its potential and capacity. The decision-making helps in measuring
each situation and evaluating the resources. The desires and needs of the employees and the
customers are being measured and being achieved according to the market situations. Proper
planning is being done so that the execution of the activities can bring exact results and
efficiency of the employees can be maintained. Planning the expenses and fund is being
measured properly in Barclays.
9

TASK 4
P6: Assess the factors within the business environment that impact upon operational
management and decision-making by leaders and managers.
There are a number of factors which affect the operational management and decision-
making of the Barclays. These factors affect the organisation in achieving the objectives and
goals. According to the changes, the positive and negative decisions are being taken by the
leaders and managers. These factors are being discussed below:
1. Resources of the organisation: In an organisation, there is an availability of resources
that works together. The resources in Barclays such as raw material and human resource.
These resources needs to be managed in a systematic way so as to take proper use and to
take a right decision. The performance and productivity of an employee affect the
decision and operational management of the Barclays.
2. Financial status: The financial position and resources of Barclays help the leaders and
managers to make appropriate strategies and to work in a proper direction. The decisions
related to the cost of the product and services offered to the customers and the
investments done in Barclays are being affected by the cash flow & profits, etc.
3. Market Trends: New trends come in the market everyday. These trends are to be studied
properly in the market as it helps in computing the needs of the customers and the
organisation. The market trends if analysed properly bring success in the organisation and
vice-versa.
4. Stakeholders: The stakeholders are the customers, suppliers, employees, etc. Investors
are the people who make investments only when they are assured that they will earn huge
profits from this investment.
5. Legal and political changes: A legal change impacts the decisions of the Barclays taken
by the managers and the leaders. These changes made in the policies being imposed on
the organisations and affect the planning process in Barclays. Here, the leader has the role
to forecast the changes in the future and manager fulfils its roles by arranging and
managing the resources.
6. Technological Changes: The technological changes emerge in the external environment
everyday. These changes are to be adopted by Barclays when the leaders and managers
foretell the plans and changes for the future.
10

CONCLUSION
After the above report it can be concluded that the organisation is using centralised
structure to distribute power among the employees. This power is distributed among the
members of the company according to the roles and responsibilities. By using different theories
and models, the role of the leader can be understood. By analysing the strength and weaknesses
of the theories and models, these theories are used in the company. The importance of the
operation management is analysed in the organisation. With the theories, approaches, models and
value of operation management, right decisions are takes place which helps in the growth of the
organisation and in earning a profit. At the closure, the relationship between a leader and
manager impacts the business internal environment.
11

REFERENCES
Books and Journals
Anand, G. and Gray, J.V., 2017. Strategy and organization research in operations
management. Journal of Operations Management, 53, pp.1-8.
Barnes, D., 2018. Operations Management. Macmillan International Higher Education.
Burns, M.G., 2018. Port management and operations. CRC press.
Cachon, G.P., Girotra, K. and Netessine, S., 2020. Interesting, important, and impactful
operations management. Manufacturing & Service Operations Management, 22(1),
pp.214-222.
Chary, S.N., 2017. Production and operations management. McGraw Hill Education.
Clemm, A., Zhani, M.F. and Boutaba, R., 2020. Network management 2030: Operations and
control of network 2030 services. Journal of Network and Systems Management, 28(4),
pp.721-750.
Faruk, M.O. And et. al., 2018. Wrong-way driving: a regional transportation systems
management and operations approach to a regional problem. Transportation research
record, 2672(14), pp.106-116.
Ferguson, N.T. And et. al., 2017. Secure management of operations on protected virtual
machines. U.S. Patent 9,578,017.
Gibson, P. and Parkman, R., 2018. Cruise operations management: Hospitality perspectives.
Routledge.
Ivanov, D., Tsipoulanidis, A. and Schönberger, J., 2017. Global supply chain and operations
management. A decision-oriented introduction to the creation of value, 2.
Kumar, S., Mookerjee, V. and Shubham, A., 2018. Research in operations management and
information systems interface. Production and Operations Management, 27(11), pp.1893-
1905.
Magon, R.B. And et. al., 2018. Sustainability and performance in operations management
research. Journal of cleaner production, 190, pp.104-117.
Paton, S. and et. al., 2020. Operations management. McGraw-Hill.
Reid, R.D. and Sanders, N.R., 2019. Operations management: an integrated approach. John
Wiley & Sons.
Slack, N., 2018. Essentials of operations management. Pearson UK.
Yan, B., 2018. Operations management
12