Provide a total of three examples. First, of someone who has great managerial skills. What are the differences between leaders and managers? What characteristics are similar and what are different? Provide a total of three examples. First, of someone who has great managerial skills. Second, another individual with great leadership skills. Third, another person with poor managerial skills. These can be made up individuals or examples you have seen without any identifying information. Discuss how the staff of each individual would be affected by the skills of the leader/manager.

Leadership and Managing

The success of any organization or company is based on the ability of the leaders to meet different operational needs. The daily operations and strategic governance of any company are done through the top management, which comprises leaders and managers. The roles and responsibilities of leaders and managers can be focused on the same mission, but the functionality differs in operations (Grady, & Hinings, 2018).

The debate between leaders and managers is a critical aspect, and while some might use the words interchangeably, there are various operational differences between a leader and a manager. This paper will focus on iterating the differences between a leader and a manager and also depict different practical examples of a good and poor leader or manager.

Leader Vs. Manager

The difference between a leader and a manager can be viewed from different perspectives. Within any organization, different operational needs exist, including production, service delivery, and the customer. The basic foundation of a leader is to be an important link between the different stakeholders and the firm. Leaders are oriented toward creating an efficient environment for operations (Grady, & Hinings, 2018). The differences can be perceived based on their work, authority, approach used, and qualities.

To begin with, the differences between a leader and a manager can be viewed from the meaning of the terms. To be a leader means that an individual has the capacity to influence, guide, or direct the physical behaviors of their followers in a specified or predetermined direction, mainly towards the attainment of a specific goal (Anbu, 2019). As a leader, it is important to be able to demonstrate proper strategies that can influence others to perform better or improve in their current position.

On the other hand, to be a manager means that a person acts on behalf of a company or firm in a representative capacity (Anbu, 2019). In retrospect, a manager has some form of power and represents the firm responsible for the overall management or operations of the employees (Anbu, 2019). As a manager, one is focused on acting in the company’s best interest at all times, including coordination and taking requisite actions if the need arises.

The correlation between a manager and a leader can also be perceived based on their functions or type of work and authority. For instance, a leader is not necessarily a person in a position of power, and their authority is informal in nature. In this regard, the leadership aspect of a person is based on their individual attributes and personal qualities as they relate with others (Anbu, 2019). To be a leader means to be self-aware and make decisions that help the growth of the team and followers.

In this regard, a leader’s work is aimed at providing directions to the followers of employees. A leader helps create attainable and realistic visions and communicates the issues with the employees (Matira & Awolusi, 2020). Leaders also facilitate efficient employee performance through motivation and encouraging the followers to meet their different visions. Manager is different s they have formal authority as they are ranked on a higher positional role within the company (Matira & Awolusi, 2020).

To be a manager, one needs to demonstrate authority and power while ensuring that internal processes run effectively and that the company’s needs are met. In this regard, the work of a manager focuses on formulating an efficient organizational structure and delegating authority or responsibilities among employees. Managers are also critical to the company having the required resources to improve its operational needs.

Be that as it may, the difference between leaders and managers can also be attributed to the management functions of each of the two. While the management function of a leader is only to direct employees and followers, managers perform all the five functions associated with management. Managers help with planning, staffing, organizing, controlling, and directing (Matira & Awolusi, 2020).

These five management functions are important as they help create a basic and fundamental structure of the organization. The role of the management structure within an organization helps facilitate the operations of the company and that all the policies, procedures, and resources are available for an efficient operation.

As a leader, one needs to act proactively and operate both in the formal and informal structures of the organization (Joullié et al., 2021). On the other hand, managers are reactive and only operate within the organization’s formal structure. A leader is required to demonstrate leadership qualities while interacting with others. Leadership qualities are key since they help creat