LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT: THEIR DIFFERENCES
The differences between leadership and management are frequently difficult to discern. However, there are subtle differences through which we can differentiate between management and leadership which are stressed in the paper/article.
“Management means running the school in accordance with the guidelines, the law, and the regulations. It is an efficient organization of what one has at one’s disposal: human resources,, the school’s assets, what the head teacher has at his disposal. Management, based from the school heads is something of an administrative in nature- the whole documentation, tons of paper, plans, and programmes.”
Management focuses on work and tasks which are based from department’s guidelines. These activities fit within the 3 Ms-manpower, money, and machinery which include: planning tasks to achieve the school’s vision and mission; budgeting or managing the resources of the school like MOOE, canteen funds and donations; organizing, controlling, coordinating and directing programs, projects, and activities for achievement of school goals; ensuring tasks and activities are conducted within the correct time frame; and ensuring problems are contained and eliminated between and among teachers, stakeholders and superiors.
“Leadership, on the other hand is commitment and attitude. Leaders who will be able to persuade others to change their ways and to follow their example. Leadership is an ability to manage others , but on the basis of one’s own authority..it is based on the charisma of a person who can lead other people and organize their work.”
Leadership centers on achieving goals while keeping the teachers and stakeholders motivated and empowered to achieve as much as they can. It’s about creating the most encouraging environment for team success like: vision or focusing on the long term goal; inspiring others through merely leading and injecting eagerness and passion; building strong relationships and ensuring the team is well balanced; being able to listen to his people; and encouraging and giving freedom for individuals to learn and grow through teaching and mentoring.
We have managers who cannot lead and leaders who cannot manage. A leader who cannot manage has a vision of where they want to go but no idea of how to get there. A manager who cannot lead is not able to build trust and create engagement within an organization to get to where they need to go. I believe that a school head must then be a leader and a manager. Leaders within organizations should be mentored so that they know how to properly manage. And perhaps most importantly, we need to give leaders at our organizations the opportunity to be officially recognized as managers. Only then will we be able to create organizations where teachers are engaged, motivated, and empowered.
--oOo— The author is Teacher III at Cutcut Elementary School, DepEd Angeles City