To Lead or To Manage, That Is the Question

To lead, one has to manage and organise things rightly. Both works together as they complement each other. A good leader needs to have excellent management skills. He or she should be able to use the resources to its maximum. Apart from leading, they have to work in a team and guide it in the right direction. If you want to manage, you need to lead, and if you want to lead, you have to manage. The two terms are synonymous. To be a good leader as well as a manager, you have to have a vision. You have a direction to work towards. Without it, you will get confused and lose track. The vision is created through communication. You have to interact with the people, see what they want; and see whether you want the same time. Make a plan and set short-term goals, monthly or quarterly.  In this way you can work towards the goals and achieve it. As a leader and a manager, you need to communicate and organise. You have to express your ideas to the people and see how they feel and react. You cannot accept all of them to be satisfied. You have to have an open mind and be ready for criticisms too. A good leader takes criticisms and works on self accordingly. He or she becomes better and bigger. There should be a strategy in place to make execution easier. You can communicate through all mediums, writing or pamphlets and brochures or speeches. Organization is a must. It saves one time and resources. You can work according to a calendar to set the priorities and deadlines. If you want to manage it well, you can send copies of it via email or chats to the members. A leader has to be confident. This, in turn, gets one respect and sense of direction. You can work on building confidence through your strengths. Share it with the team members and people. It also gives a morale boost. People aspect their leader to be fair. They don't tolerate favouritism or partiality. If you want to lead, you have to be just. It wins people's hearts. To lead and manage, you have to respect others. You have to give them the chance to speak and express their grievances. As a leader, you have to listen and give positive feedback or solution. You have to manage yourself accordingly. A leader is heard and often listens too.

Every workplace needs look leaders and management staff. Good leaders can be found in the managing department itself. Here are some tips to be a successful leader:

-    Don't complain: stay active. Use the mistakes as opportunities to show how things are to be done. Be mindful that complaints and criticisms don't go down well with people.

-    Appreciate: acknowledge and be grateful for the contribution of the people and the team players around. It motivates them to do their best.

-    Talk and Listen: a leader needs to talk as well as listen. By listening, you show people that you care about their ideas and grievances.

-    Make others feel important: don't ignore anyone. Give a chance and time to everyone. It makes them feel important. In return, they will give you support.

-    Honesty: sincerity and goodness are the keys to good leadership. You have to be fair and open. Leaders have to be humble and down to earth.

-    Serve to lead: if you want to lead, you have to serve the people with just and fairness. You have to listen to everyone. Take in their ideas and resolve their problems.

Leadership and management can be done at the same time. It doesn't take much time. In fact, this also saves many organisations money. They don't have to look for extra resources or funds to take care of things. Organisations need good leadership and management to make the work effective and successful. It enlightens and motivates the employees. Direction and administration guide and restructure the organisation. It brings about needed change and keeps it up to date with time and technological changes. Leadership and management can work together in harmony. They can connect with the employees, discuss and share ideas and relay it to the seniors. The thing that organisations have to be mindful about is that an individual can not do leadership and management. There has to a team. They are able to develop skills and work together efficiently.