Management and Leadership Paper
Earnest Johnson
University of Phoenix
Management Theory, Practice, and Application
MGT330
Terry Kennard
Management and Leadership Paper
In the corporate world, many business models depict leadership and management as synonymous with one another. In reality management and leadership have very different meanings: management is a position and a manager is a title, whereas leadership is a skill and leader is a function. With the new economy based on flexibility of manpower and human resources competition in which people switch jobs if they are not satisfied. The ‘new manager’ who is managing workers must have the skills of a leader otherwise his or her team will deteriorate (“What is the Difference between Management and Leadership“, 2009).
A leader presents original thinking, a vision or a new path that attracts or motivates others to go after him or her without hesitations. Put another way, leaders must know what they want. And other people must understand what that is. The leader must be able to articulate the vision, clearly and often (Bateman & Snell, 2009, p. 437).
Jeff Immelt, Chairman and CEO of General Electric Company, has shown tremendous leadership in GE since he took over in September 2001. Mr. Immelt has been named one of the “World’s Best CEOs” three times by Baron’s, and since he began serving as CEO, GE has been named “America’s Most Admired Company” in a poll conducted by Fortune magazine. Mr. Immelt stated in a press release that “We have always believed that building strong leaders is a strategic imperative. When times are easy, leadership can be taken for granted. When the world is turbulent, you appreciate great people.” 90% of GE’s top 600 leaders are promoted from within because of their remarkable executive leadership training under Mr. Immelt’s direction (General Electric Company, 2010).
Managers being a management position obtain his or her power and authority...