Roger works for a business software firm and is passionate about his work. He is committed to delivering high-quality software solutions on schedule. He maintains a precise and accurate project schedule with meticulously detailed documentation of product design specifications and processes. Roger’s subordinates never have to guess about their performance expectations. When the rigorous quality assurance process uncovers a problem, Roger can proceed largely unfazed. He knows the capabilities of the developers on his team so well that he knows exactly who to assign to resolve the issue. He is quick to offer encouragement and guidance when needed. Roger’s team is productive and happy.
Linda works at the same company as Roger. She closely monitors industry trends. She is watching the rapid rise of mobile computing and sees competitors introducing new mobile applications with rapid speed. The company has yet to attempt to design software for a mobile platform, but she knows that the company could become competitive in the industry if it created changes quickly. She is working hard to gain support from members of the executive board and is planning a kickoff meeting with employees to announce the company’s entry into the new market. She wants to make certain the employees see the change as a great opportunity and realize that training will be available. She already has the company’s first mobile project and an ideal timetable in mind. She is anxious to hit the ground running.
What are the roles of the individuals in the above scenarios? Are they managers, leaders, or both? What distinguishes management from leadership and managers from leaders? The nature of the relationship between leadership and management remains a topic of debate among scholars. The debate provides insight into the definition of leadership and offers a suitable avenue for beginning an in-depth exploration of the topic of leadership
