The relationship between leadership and management is a question that has puzzled many for as long as people have worked together. How do the two concepts relate, how are they different. Are leadership and management dependent or are they independent activities. Leadership and management are concepts that many use interchangeable but too often these concepts are misunderstood at the highest levels of an organization. This misunderstanding leads to confusion, consternation and sometimes dissension within an organization. I will look at the concepts of leadership and management and examine how other writes understand the relationship these two concepts hold.
"If there is a clear distinction between the processes of managing and the process of leading it is between getting others to do - managing - and getting others to want to do - leading." (Kouzes, & Posner, 2008) Managers are given a responsibility to perform certain tasks. They are given resources to accomplish their assignments and are expected to perform within a timeframe. In many cases one resource a manager must deploy are personnel. When a manager is in charge of a group of people we have a tendency to call him a leader. Under the definition Kouzes and Posner have put forth a manager is not a leader. In the process of deploying human resources a manager will give assignments, set deadlines and establish job descriptions for each individual. The manager does not set the vision for the organization. The manager does not establish the goals for the organization. The manager is responsible for performing the task that has been assigned to his work group. Peter Drucker described management as a factor of production along with machines, materials, and money. (Management, 2011) Kouzes and Posner go on to say that leadership is at all levels of an organization. “If you’re a manager in an organization, to your