What is the difference between management and leadership? Can a manager be a leader? What are the different expectations of a leader and a manager?
A leader is someone who personifies the vision of the organisation in a way that is enticing and infectious to those around them. Usually charismatic and creative, they are open to innovation and change. A manager understands the organisations vision and goals, and practically applies it in the everyday running and functioning of the entity. This can include administration, people management, and problem-solving.
I believe a manger can be a leader, however when looking at the responsibilities of both positions, this is a significant task. Where once creative leadership was enough, business management requirements have led to this position generally becoming too large for one person to execute effectively. This can be solved through employing both a Creative Director and Business Manager. Or, as Caust (2010, p.580) concluded, spreading the functions of leadership and management through all levels of an organisation.
When assigning two positions, it is necessary to clearly define the individual roles. From personal experience in retail management, I have seen where employing two “co-mangers” can go wrong. In this instance there was no clear definition of responsibilities. Instead, it was assumed the two people knew what their roles in the business were, which led to confusion not only amongst themselves but the team and upper management as well. Whilst this isn’t an arts example, I can see how the same scenario could impact an art organisation.
What are the different expectations of a leader and a manager? Directly relating back to their role differences, a leader is looked to for encouragement and guidance into the future of the organisation, whereas a manager is expected to keep the organisation running.