Response to Peer Post (18)
Response to Peer Post
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Response to Peer Post
While reading through your work, I liked how you organized your initial discussion prompt because it makes it easier to see how you addressed each question. In your post, you began by suggesting that leadership is both a trait and a practice. As a practice, you mentioned that it involves the act of motivating and influencing people towards attaining desired goals as they participate in team working. On that point, I agree with you because I see leadership as a purposeful process or transactional event characterized by influencing, directing, inspiring, and empowering people and their behaviors towards attaining desired goals in uncertain situations. However, I cannot entirely agree with you that leadership is a trait because traits are innate qualities or personality characteristics that defined an individual and his/her ability to exercise leadership.
All the same, I do agree with your definition of the concept of management in that it encompasses using the functions of organizing, planning, controlling, and coordinating to get people to attain organizational goals. Concerning leadership being a subset of management or vice versa, I appreciate your reasoning towards defending the idea that management is a subset of leadership. Here, your argument is that an effective leader is defined by his/her capability to manage people, delegate work, and be engaged in contributing to the work. In support of your opinion, I would like to add that people demonstrate effective leadership if they combine their management capabilities with the leadership skills of directing, motivating, and inspiring. Finally, I see that we share the same sentiments that great leaders can be poor managers, and equally, great managers can be poor leaders. This depends on their skill endowments or skill deficiencies as they execute their role. Thank you for your wonderful thoughts and coherent discussions.
