Leadership and Management: Characteristics and Development Essay

This essay delves into the multifaceted realm of leadership and management, commencing with an exploration of the essential characteristics that define a successful leader. It highlights traits such as effective communication, employee humility, continuous learning, strategic thinking, accountability, clear goal setting, a vision for the future, adeptness in managing complexity, forecasting abilities, and team-building skills. The essay then transitions to discuss how good leadership can be developed, emphasizing the importance of learning from other leaders, utilizing online resources, participating in workshops, and self-assessment through tests. It also underscores the value of active listening, critical thinking, and evaluating leadership qualities within an organization. Furthermore, the essay differentiates between leadership and management, clarifying that while leadership focuses on motivating and directing individuals, management centers on controlling and directing organizational operations. The essay concludes with a reflection on personal leadership experiences, offering insights into practical application of these concepts.

LEADERSHIP AND
MANAGEMENT

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................3
MAIN BODY...................................................................................................................................3
1. Characteristics of being successful leader...............................................................................3
2. How a good leadership can be developed...............................................................................5
3. Difference between leadership and management....................................................................6
4. Reflection of own leadership experience ...............................................................................8
CONCLUSION..............................................................................................................................10
REFERENCES..............................................................................................................................11

INTRODUCTION
Leadership can be defined as the set the new vision and direction to their team members
so that they can follow to achieve their objective. In this, leaders play important role to setting
vision and direction to their team members. Whereas management helps to control, direct and
evaluate the group as according to set principles and believes values of their organization. This
assessment will help to understand the traits that are involved to being a successful leader. This
also help top identified that how a good leader can be developed. With the help of the reflection
experience of own leadership is being included in this assessment. Difference between the
leadership and management also being described.
MAIN BODY
1. Characteristics of being successful leader
Being a good leader, they must have number of characteristics and skills that can help the
leaders to effective leading and directing their group of individuals. This will help the employees
and other individuals, being motivated and work had to achieve their target. I have analysed that
being a successful leader must have characteristics and skill are:
Effective communication — I analysed that being a successful leader, they should have the
effective communicator, so that can easily influence their team members to follow their
strategies and rules, in order to achieve their short term and long term target. This characteristic
make them successful to lead their team effectively by having clear communication and relation
with their group members. By having the clear and effective communication, individuals easily
understand, what a leader want to explain.
Employee humility — Another characteristic hat I have identified that, employee humility.
Before becoming a leader, they also are the employee an organization at basic level. So they
understand their employees and also have the employee humility feeling toward to their towards
to their employees. This helps to understand their employees and their problem easily, and can
resolve them effectively (Northouse, 2018).
Never stop learning — Another characteristic that I have understood that, they have never stop
learning. Successful leaders have the curiosity to learn at every step when they feel needed, they
always try to learn from the employees, management and also from the outside world, that give

their skill enhancement and making them awareness of the updated and new trends in the market
and competitor.
Acting strategically — Successful leaders are open-minded, have forwarded thinking, this helps
them to act strategically. Leaders always make the strategies as according to the available
opportunities in the company and market and also mould their strategies to tackle any challenges
and problem if arises in front of them. This make them successful to act strategically in every
situation by handling them effectively.
Accountable and responsible – Leader or a successful leader hold themselves as accountable
and take responsibilities of their own errors and mistake in the company or in te outside world as
well. Leaders do not lame anyone other for their mistake, but take responsibility and try to
resolve it as soon as possible, so that company or team members do not have to be suffered
because of their mistakes.
Clear goals — I also identified that, successful have the clear goals in their mind and according
to them they make strategies to accomplish that goal. This clarity of goals help the leaders to
explain the goals and target to their employees and help them to direct effectively. This having
the clarity of the goals and target helps them to make successful (Kutz, 2018).
Vision for future — Successful leaders have the vision for the future, To develop the
sustainability in the business this visionary characteristics help them to make change in the future
according to the situation. This vision helps to manage all the change while making the
sustainability and growth in the market. According to the vision, they make the strategies as
according to the situation and handle them effectively.
Managing complexity — I analysed that successful leaders handle all the complex situation
whether it is employee turnover or low productivity, conflict among the employees and many
more, they effectively handle all the situation and try to manage them as soon as possible. They
are not afraid to face any complex situation and mange them effectively (Soliman, 2018).
Forecasting — I understood that, Forecasting is another characteristic that make them
successful. With the help of forecasting, they prepare strategies for the future situation and plan
to bring growth in their business. This helps to analyse the future opportunity, challenges and
issue in the market and company, leaders make planning and strategies for the future as well.
Team building — Successful leaders also have the team building characteristic. With the help of
the team building, leaders form an effective team that can contribute to achieving target of the

company effectively. By having the team building characteristic, they also help to maintain
strong bond with their employees and helps to maintain relation among the relation. This helps
the leaders to manage their team and can increase productivity of them.
2. How a good leadership can be developed
According to Bush, Bell and Middlewood, (2019) good leadership can be developed by
the different ways. Leadership play great role and have great importance, as this understanding
of the leadership gives thy clear vision and objective to the leaders and leaders, like if any
company want to improve their customer support services, then leadership helps to give the clear
objective and motivate employees to achieve their goals. This effective leadership can be
developed by different attributes like:
According to the Eden, (2018) leadership can be developed by learn from other leaders.
By seeing the other effective and successful leaders, leadership can be gained and learned. By
observing their behaviour, communication, way of handling and any situation, take initiative, by
forming effective team in the organization, how they motivate and direct other employees in the
organization in order to achieve their goals. All these things can be observed from the effective
and successful leaders, that can help to develop the strong leadership quality in a leader, so that
they can effectively manage and lead their team.
Another way to develop the leadership is to Watch online videos given by the great
leaders. In this, an individual can see and learn the different styles of the leadership of the
different and great leaders of the big organization, that handle all their organization and its
employees effectively. Online videos of the great leaders can help an individual to teach about
the effective leadership skills and also give them better understanding of importance of
leadership in the organization. Different lectures, seminar, workshops also can help individuals
to develop the effective and strong leadership style within them. That can help them lead their
team and achieving goals (Leroy and et.al., 2018).
can take test to determine what kind of leader you are, is another way that i have
identified. To evaluate the which kind of leader whop are you, then in this different test can help
to determine it. There are many tests based on the leadership styles and its different skills like
critical thinking, time management and many more, that help to identify the style of leader
within them. So that according to leader style, can make strategies and plan hoe to make
improvement in their leadership, that could be beneficial for the organization and for the

employees of an organization as well. According to the style leader can make strategies to led
their team members and set their goals and vision for the future to work on and to achieve. In this
way these tests help the individual to identified their leader style.
Lane and Maznevski, (2019) stated that by evaluating the qualities of leaders in an
organization can also be helpful for the leaders to develop the effective leadership in it.
Evaluating the leaders in an organization, there way of thinking, their planning to achieve the
goals and target of the company and for the employees top increase their productivity, evaluate
leadership of a great leader in the organization like, which skills they have and in those skills
what skills I have and need to be improved, need to work upon, for make improvement in their
leadership style also can take the experience and learning theories from the leaders of an
organization. So that can help to develop effective leadership styles in an individual.
I also have understood that Listen more than talk is another way that can help to develop
the leadership style in the individuals. To make improvement or to learn something effective
listening is very helpful. Good Leaders can identified that, they can gain the knowledge of the
leadership style by listening to other those around them more effectively. In this, leaders have to
be feel free to ask any question about leadership style and have to genuinely listen to others what
they are saying. And also by listening and accept their mistakes when a leader tell about your
mistake and analyse how can that mistake be overcome.
Critical thinking is also the way to improve the leadership style of an individual. This
critic thinking helps to think ion both the perspective and give the wider scope to think and make
decisions upon on the leaders and their activities. This critical thinking give the way to prevent
the problems before their arrivals. This thinking can be developed by to gain experience from the
leaders of their organization or by learning and gaining knowledge from the online resources and
test. That help to create the critical thinking in an individual.
3. Difference between leadership and management
According to the Lane and Maznevski, (2019) Leadership and management both are the
different activities that help to achieving the goals and target of an organization. When
leadership refers to the art and ability of an individual that help to motivate, direct, and make
enables them to effectively contribute in the organisational target achieving. This leadership style
is focus on their employees to make them enable to work effectively. Whereas management
consist the directing and controlling a group of people or whole organisation and its activities in

order to manage all the operation effectively. This helps to achieving the task and goals of an
organization.
I also have analysed that, this leadership styles is performed by the leaders of an
organization for their group of people and management style is being applied by the managers of
an organization in order to manage their activities and procedures. Aim of management is to
make polices, values, strategies and procedures of the organization as according to their
employees to make them feel comfortable in the organization, ad leadership style aim to match
those values and procedures and objective of the company which are bing made by the
management of the organization by align their strategies to achieving goals (Hull, 2018).
I have been identified that management objective is to manage al the work, act ivies,
operation of the organization and helps to make availability of the resources needed to the
organization like, investors, fund, shareholders, clients and many more. Whereas leadership aims
to leading the people. Main aim of leadership is to lead their group members or a team by
directing, motivating and encouraging them. For this, leaders play great role to guide their
employees. This leadership style is basically work to lead their team as according to the set
objective of the management of an organisation.
Macdonald, Burke and Stewart, (2018) stated that, leadership is the people oriented,
which focus on the people or employees of the organization. For this, leaders helps to lead their
team members. Every team has their effective leaders who lead, direct and guide them
effectively. So that employees or people of the organization can work effectively with their full
potential to achieve their target and increase the productivity of the organization in the market.
Whereas management is task oriented, which basically focus on the task that are performed by
their employees in order to achieve the final result or the target of the company. All the task,
strategies to bring resources and to compete with their competitors in the market, all are being
forced by the management.
I understood that, outcome of the leadership is its achievement, and outcome of the
management is the final result that are being achieved with the help of the effective leadership.
Leadership which is being played by the leaders of the organization is focused and plan all its
strategies as according to the achievement. They focus on how the target will be achieved,
different ways and creative, innovative thinking will be applied. Whereas management only
concern with the final result. They do not focus on how the target will be achieved, they only

give direction, and order to their leaders and employees of organization so that the can make
their mind to prepare strategies in order to obtain target of company (Wang and Cruz, 2018).
I have analysed that, leadership has different styles such as transformational, democratic
and participative, in which, participative leadership help the employees to take equal
participation in their decision-making process of the company. All the decisions are being made
with equal and actively participation of the employees to put their view and opinion. Democratic
leadership style is that, company have one single authority, all the decision and actions are being
made by the upper authority of the organization. Employees have to follow those orders without
any questions. As opposed to this, management has different styles like dictatorial authoritative,
transactional and many more. Authoritative is the management style in which, management
authority and senior members have all the rights and authority to take decision and prepare
principles, values and objective of the organization, in which, there are very little intervention of
employees of organization. Dictatorial management style helps to reduce the chances of errors in
the management style which are being made by the management of organization. As in this,
feedback is being taken from the employees, accordingly make changes in their management
style.
4. Reflection of own leadership experience
Being a leader of an organisation I have learnt many thins and gain number of experience
while leading a team. Firstly I had to form a team from number of employees in the organisation,
to form a team I applied the tuck man effective team development theory. In which, first the
gather the number of employees having different skills and attributes that can contribute to
achieving the target to increase the productivity of organization. While forming team, have to
face many problems as conflict situation has arise in the team. By having the different skills and
values of employees they were try to put their self first and try to insult each other. To solve this
conflict situation in the team I have applied the participative leadership style, that give the equal
participation to each and every team member to put their opinion and views equally. This give
the ability to listen effectively each others and increase the feeling of respect toward each other.
This help the team member to build the strong relation with each other. And this relation helps
me to direct and control them easily. I explain the objective the organisation in front of my team,
if any team member afraid to take initiative or to achieving the target. I tried to motivate them
and encourage them by giving moral support. After this, strategies in order to achieve the target

is being made. In this all the team member helped me, this gave me ease to guide them as
according to their role and skill. This also helped me to distribution of the task as according to
having the knowledge of skills of the team members. In this way team members could work
effectively as according to their interest field. In this way, they have worked effectively with
their full potential to achieve the target. They have worked hard, some team members did not get
the exact role of their task, so I have taught them and explain the role and gave understanding of
their task. This helped him to get their work done effectively. In this way I have achieved the
task for the organization in set time period.
While conducting the leadership, also have to face other issues like, I have tried to
change the culture and environment of the organization, employees did not support and stand
against me. But after some by seeing my effective leadership skill, that made themselves adjust
as according to the changing culture and environment. When they got to know, that this change
had been done in favour of them to behave as according to them and make relation with other
employees. In this have experienced a lot from the leadership style which is applied by me in
organization in order to achievement of target. Also I have learnt lot things from the superior of
my like senior leaders that have taught me hoe top apply different leadership style as according
to the situation and organisation, how to motivate their team members, encourage them by
having the effective communication also can influence their team member. I also have
understood that, leadership gave me good understanding of the leadership style by applying
different leadership style in reality.

CONCLUSION
From the above assessment it has been concluded that, being a successful leaders there
should have some characteristics and skills like effective communication, humility, mentor,
never stop learning attitude and many more which help them to being a successful leader. It also
has analysed that by following the discipline, taking more projects, by developing the situation
awareness good leadership can be developed that can help a leader to lead their team effectively
in order to achieve the goal. It has been also analysed that there are differences in the leadership
and management like leadership is a art of a leader to lead a team whereas management is
administrative actin which taken by the managers of an organization. With the help of the
reflection own experience of leadership has been shared.

REFERENCES
Books and Journals
Bush, T., Bell, L. and Middlewood, D. eds., 2019. Principles of Educational Leadership &
Management. SAGE Publications Limited.
Eden, D., 2018. Charismatic Pygmalion: The Most Effective Leadership Combo. In Leadership
Now: Reflections on the Legacy of Boas Shamir (pp. 109-123). Emerald Publishing
Limited.
Hull, H., 2018. Leadership in action. Journal (Real Estate Institute of New South Wales), 69(1),
p.20.
Kutz, M.R., 2018. Leadership and management in athletic training. Jones & Bartlett Learning.
Lane, H.W. and Maznevski, M.L., 2019. International management behavior: Global and
sustainable leadership. Cambridge University Press.
Leroy and et.al., 2018. Managing people in organizations: Integrating the study of HRM and
leadership.
Macdonald, I., Burke, C. and Stewart, K., 2018. Systems leadership: Creating positive
organisations. Routledge.
Northouse, P.G., 2018. Leadership: Theory and practice. Sage publications.
Obholzer, A. and Miller, S., 2018. Leadership, followership, and facilitating the creative
workplace. In Working Below the Surface (pp. 33-48). Routledge.
Soliman, A.F., 2018. A proposed model for leadership styles effect on total quality management
implementation: an applied study on telecommunication for mobile service companies in
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Wang, H. and Cruz, J., 2018. Transformational Leadership in Supply Chain Management.
Western, S., 2019. Leadership: A critical text. SAGE Publications Limited.
Online
11 Powerful Traits Of Successful Leaders.2017.[Online].Available
through<https://www.forbes.com/sites/deeppatel/2017/03/22/11-powerful-traits-of-
successful-leaders/#1e41e49e469f>