Question: Zaleznik (1977) said that leaders and managers are different. What research evidence is there to support or reject such a view? Do you agree with him?

Content list

1. Introduction

2. Leaders vs. Managers
2.1 Support of the thesis: Leaders and managers are different
2.2 Rejection of the thesis: Leaders and managers are equal
2.3 Personal comment on the thesis: Leaders and managers are different

3. Conclusion

References

1. Introduction

The business sector in today’s society is increasing rapidly. On the one hand this increase produces the need for more people to manage and lead the growing companies. On the other hand this growing need also raises some potential questions:

Could anyone become a leader or a manager? Is there a difference between both? Can people be trained to become leaders or managers? Just like many other questions that might be asked in business; these questions have no exclusive, definite answer.

Due it is important to produce an assignment with the following issues:

Part 2.1: Support of the thesis: Leaders and managers are different

Primarily this part points out Zaleznik’s notion about the differences between leaders and managers. Moreover it highlights further arguments from researches that support this main idea.

Part 2.2: Rejection of the thesis: Leaders and managers are equal

In this juncture it is attempted to reject the thesis from the previous part. Hence it is the essential issue to set out the similarities between both economical occupational titles.

Part 2.3: Personal comment on the thesis: Leaders and managers are different

The last topic compares both former parts and includes my personal opinion towards Zaleznik’s assumption.

2. Leaders vs. Managers

2.1 Support of the thesis: Leaders and managers are different

At first we can acknowledge the definitions of the two root words. By
looking into a dictionary we find out that the word "manage" means to
handle, whereas the word "lead" means to go. Similarly as the two words have
different definitions, they also have different purposes.

To figure out the differences between leaders and managers it is useful to define their particular characterises.

The following table displays managers’ and leaders’ characteristics and has been completely adopted from internet sources. It is a comparison that shows the differences in detail.

illustration not visible in this excerpt

Fig. 1 Overview Mangers vs. Leaders^[1]

In the following, I would like to comment on the umbrella terms resulting from the table, namely personality styles, attitudes toward goals, conceptions of work, relations with others and finally self-identity. These headlines are also the ones mainly used by Zaleznik in 1977.

Personality styles

First of all, let's take a look at the difference in personality styles between a manager and a leader.

In the first line managers shall show a high level of rationality and control. They are meant to be problem-solvers and they focus on the particular goals of the company they belong to. Furthermore, they are responsible to organize the structures of the operational procedures. In this context a basic question is always apparent for them: "What problems have to be solved, and what are the best ways to achieve results so that people will continue to contribute to this organization? “. Generally speaking managers are supposed to be persistent, tough-minded, intelligent, analytical and tolerant. They shall show goodwill toward others and embody a good example of what is called "hard working".

Leaders are perceived to be extraordinary creative or brilliant in their ideas but sometimes alone concerning on development of ideas and also alone on their duty on the whole. Additionally they control themselves before they try to control others.

The leader personality is shaped at its best by skills like imaging general concepts, expressing passion to staff members and operating unconventionally and perilously.

[...]

^[1] The institute for management excellence: Managers vs. Leaders, 1996