Ahmad Murtada

7/7/20

Leadership &
Management
Defining Leadership and Management
According to Google search:

Leadership is setting a new direction or vision for a group that they follow, ie: a leader is a
spearhead for that new direction. Management controls or directs people/resources in a group
according to principles or values that have been established.

Main Differences between Leadership and Management

While many people often mistake that leadership and management are the same things, they
are quite different. Being a leader usually means having people follow you, whereas being a manager
has people that work for you.

Characteristics
According to the Center for Creative Leadership, the ten main characteristics a good leader
should have is integrity, ability to delegate, communication, self-awareness, gratitude, learning agility,
influence, empathy, courage, and respect. This should be no surprise, as each of them is a big factor in
leadership.

As for a manager, 1 important factor is to make decisions wisely. Any small mistake could flip a
company over. Then comes micromanagement. Google notes that successful leaders don't try to rule
over every detail. If you're invested in your team's success, you might fall into the trap of feeling that
you have to guard every detail. In fact, micromanaging can erode worker initiative and damage
employee motivation.

A manager should also be a role manager. One should set an example and express the diligence,
enthusiasm, and other skills that you expect from the people whom you manage. In a recent report by
global research firm Universum, the ability to be a role model was one of the top two qualities that
executives look for when they're choosing new managers.

The Prophet and Imam Ali as a Leader

Islam as we know it wouldn’t be here today without Prophet Muhammad’s (SAW) remarkable
leadership. Michael Hart, Author of The 100: A Ranking of the Most Influential Persons in History, Puts
Muhammad as the most important person of all of humanity, yet he was not Muslim, and worse, a
white separatist. So why did he put him on the top?

Hart explains that he put Muhammad on the top list because he sees that Muhammad is most
influential in both religious and political views of all time. He is the leader of one of the biggest religions
in the world, as well as the lead and unites Arab-speaking countries at that time.

That itself can explain how Muhammad was such a good example of a leader. We can also find
big amounts of management in his cousin, Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib (AS). Imam Ali had a great skill in
leadership. He gave sermons to huge crowds that went as far to the horizon.

Imam Ali was also deeply involved in the military defense of Islam. The Quraysh sought to
destroy the community in Medina with many attacks. Imam Ali participated in all of these battles (except
for one), and he was commander at the battles of Fadak and al-Yaman. He also had the special role of
protecting Muhammad at the battles of Uhud and Hunayn.

Can you be both a Leader and a Manager?

Leadership isn't mysterious, nor is it necessarily better than management or something else for
it. Rather, leadership and management are two distinctive and similar systems of action. In What
Leaders Really Do by John Kotter, he explains that each has its own function and characteristic activities.
What’s more, both are necessary for success in today's business environment.

More change always demands more leadership. And Kotter says that most U. S. corporations
today need to develop their capacity to exercise leadership. He reminds, though, that while improving
their ability to lead, companies should also remember that strong leadership with weak management is
no better. The real challenge is to combine strong leadership and strong management and use each to
balance the other.

Which Big Names are Leaders or Managers?

There are many big names that are praised for their leadership, some being Bill Gates, Steve
Jobs, Elon Musk, and Grand Ayatullah Sayyid Sistani.

Bill Gates focused on transformational leadership because that style came naturally to him. He
could adapt to other types of leadership when the need arose, but for the most part, his time at
Microsoft was dominated by this leadership style.

Steve Jobs is frequently remembered for his brilliance and, as a leader, for being rough on his
people. But also outstanding was his ability to inspire as a leader. Many of his employees saw him as a
manager, Jobs being slightly tough on them, but nevertheless he was a great moral example as a leader.

Elon Musk, Founder and CEO of SpaceX, dubbed himself a “nano-manager” to the Wall Street
Journal in 2015. Factoring in that as a CEO he involves himself in the design, production, and marketing
aspects of his companies. His employees often see him as a leader rather than a manager, taking
interest in nearly every aspect of his business.
 Grand Ayatullah Sayyid Sistani has proved to be a successful leader in the Shia sect of Islam. He
has ceased many attacks between Shia and Sunni, stopped potential bloody wars, and opened Islam
more to the World. In 2005 and 2014, he was nominated for the Nobel Prize Award.

How I can be a Leader and Manager

I think I can be a good manager than a leader. The reason for this is because I think I am more
organized to sort things out than to be telling people things. Of course, you should be a leader if you
want to be a manager, so leading skills are crucial.

Sources
https://www.nextgeneration.ie/blog/2018/03/the-difference-between-leadership-and-management

https://www.achievers.com/blog/12-traits-make-great-manager/

https://www.ccl.org/blog/characteristics-good-leader/

https://hbr.org/2004/01/managers-and-leaders-are-they-different