Leadership vs. Management: Roles, Theories, and Characteristics Report

This report provides a comprehensive comparison between the roles of a leader and a manager, highlighting their distinct characteristics and responsibilities within an organization. Using Tesco as a case study, the report defines leadership and management, exploring how leaders motivate and set visions, while managers focus on planning, organizing, and controlling. It analyzes essential leadership and management theories, including transactional and transformational leadership, and contingency theory, and discusses the application of hard and soft skills. The report provides a clear understanding of the differences between a leader and a manager, including the application of theories and concepts.

DIFFERENTIATE
BETWEEN THE ROLE OF
A LEADER AND THE
FUNCTION OF A
MANAGER

TABLE OF CONTENT
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................3
LO1..................................................................................................................................................3
Definition of a leader and a manager..........................................................................................3
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................6
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................7

INTRODUCTION
Leader and manager both are essential part of organization because they play different
role within company. Leader refers as a person who posses a defined vision and has integrity,
honestly and clear focus. On the other hand manager who has control to keep staff in direction by
implementing strategy. To understand roles of leader and manager will take example of Tesco
company. It covers different role and characteristics of a leader and a manager in organization.
LO1
Definition of a leader and a manager
Leader: A person that enhances a group of people to achieve goals. In simple term,
leadership is the art of motivation which motivates groups of people to give their high
performance for accomplishing common goals. Leader chooses appropriate leadership style to
become as role model for the people within company.
Manager: A person who manages group of people by supervising and motivating and
directing them to perform well. Manager plays vital role in organization by performing various
functions such as planning, organizing, controlling and coordinating within company (Murphy
and Murphy, 2017). They mange overall sectors within company and gives contribution to
improve their significance that are reflected in term of company profile, company and whole
workplace morals.
Basis Managers Leaders
Characteristics There are certain kinds of
characteristics which are required in a
manager of Tesco which are
communication, delegation,
knowledge, reliability, experience,
etc. These characteristics are very
important in a manager so that there
is a clarity in the organization which
will make the over all growth in the
organization. There are a lot of
The characteristics which are required
in a leader are communication,
honesty, creativity, commitment,
confidence, ability to delegate, etc.
The leaders of Tesco are very effective
and efficient for the organization to
function smoothly in market. Positive
attitude of the leaders make the
environment of the organization very
motivated and makes the employees

changes which are taking place in
Tesco so that the demands of the
customers are met from time to time
therefore it is very important for the
manager to make decisions in the
organization accordingly. To get a
competitive advantage it is very
important for the manager to have
these characteristics which will have
a positive impact on the company.
give their best in the organization.
Leaders of Tesco make the company
have a brand image for themselves in
market.
Roles Roles of managers is that they set
objectives and goals for the company
so that the company can have a
direction for working and there will
be better productivity in Tesco.
Managers haver to make decisions for
the betterment of the company and
have to make sure that their decisions
are being accepted by all so that there
is a better efficiency in the
organization (An and et.al., 2019).
Managers have this factor under their
control and the leaders of the
company has to make sure that they
are meeting up to the standards and
expectations of the company. The
company has to get a competitive
advantage any how therefore the
decisions they make has to be after
analysing the customers. The
demands of the customers has to be
There has to be a systematic approach
to make the organization function
which is in control of the leaders is
that the best is taken out of the
employees which will make the
company get a competitive advantage.
There are expectation of the managers
with the leaders which the leader must
be able to live up to so that the
functioning of the organization is
better (Sweeney, Clarke and Higgs,
2019). Role of the leader is to
motivate the employees from time to
time so that there is a better
functioning of the organization. There
are methods and strategies which the
leaders have to make so that there is
better functioning of the organization.

met and the managers have to
understand that so that the
productivity of Tesco does not fall.
Visions and
Mission
Managers set the objectives and goals
of the company so that there is a
direction which is provided to the
organization and there will be
productive work in Tesco.
Leaders make the vision come into
reality by implementing it the right
way so that the employees do not
resist from it.
Control risks
and taking
risks
Managers have a tendency to control
the risk factors which are happening
in the company. It is very important
for managers to have a control on the
brand image of Tesco in market
therefore they do not take risks.
Leaders of the company take risks so
that they can have an effective
functioning in the future (Muller and
Turner, 2017). Failure is a step to
success. There is a lot of learning
which is present in failure and will
help for the future decision making.
M1 Theories and Concepts Skills
Hard Skills
Managers of Tesco use the hard skill for implementing the decisions which are taken by
them. Management has to implement the decision and put pressure on the employees is that they
work hard and get the best out of the company. This skill gives the management a control on the
organization which is a very important factor for the managers.
Soft Skills
Leaders use soft skills so that they can make the employees of Tesco take the best from
them and make the company work effectively and efficiently (Winston, 2018). This will build a
relationship and make the employees be under control as well. Theories
Transactional Leadership

This style requires only one leader which is not practical for Tesco and there are so many
innovations which are taking place in Tesco that they will not be able to apply this style in the
organization. They put their own interest before anyone else's interest which is why this style is
not applicable in Tesco.
Transformational Leadership
There are a lot of innovations which are taking place in the company which the leaders
have to make sure that the employees are following them. There is a requirement for more than
one leader to apply this style which is why this style is practical for Tesco. This can be a great
advantage for Tesco if they use this style.
Contingency theory
This is good for Tesco because the management will be able to take decisions
accordingly and will help organization to have a better functioning (Do and Nuth, 2020). This
theory can be used in a large organization therefore Tesco can use this theory, though this theory
is complex in nature but Tesco has experienced employees therefore it can be applied.
Classical management theory
This is not applicable in Tesco because this theory only deals with the economic and
physical needs of the employees. There are more expectations of the employees which Tesco
must fulfil and satisfy the employees so that the best can come out of the company as well.
CONCLUSION
It can be concluded definitions and differences of both a leader and a manager.
Differentiation between the roles of a leader and functions of manager can be summarized in
report. Transformational, transactional leadership style and contingency theories has been
summarized in report.

REFERENCES
Books and Journals
Do, D.T. and Nuth, A., 2020. Academic Library Middle Managers as Leaders: In their Own
Words. Journal of Library Administration. 60(1). pp.41-70.
Muller, R. and Turner, J.R., 2017. Project-oriented leadership. Routledge.
Sweeney, A., Clarke, N. and Higgs, M., 2019. Shared leadership in commercial organizations: A
systematic review of definitions, theoretical frameworks and organizational
outcomes. International Journal of Management Reviews. 21(1). pp.115-136.
An, S.H and et.al., 2019. Employee perceived effect of leadership training: Comparing public
and private organizations. International Public Management Journal. 22(1). pp.2-28.
Winston, B.E., 2018. Contrast Leader, Manager, and Administrator. In Biblical Principles of
Leading and Managing Employees (pp. 1-5). Palgrave Macmillan, Cham.
Murphy, R.M. and Murphy, K.M., 2017. Manager Vs. Leader: Untying the Gordian Knot.
Routledge.