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Research Paper
Leadership vs. Management Assignment

Daniel Blanco Uribe

Liberty University

PADM 510: Fundamentals of Public Safety Leadership

Professor Fred Newell

March 10, 2024

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Leadership and management are highly valuable factors when it comes to the functioning and

development of an organization, especially in the case of public safety. The two are necessary,

but they have different purposes at an organizational level; understanding them becomes

imperative during situations like choosing the right candidate to take on one of these roles.

Leadership vs Management

Despite the terms leadership and management being alike, they are not the same. In both

cases, the process involves similar details, like being head of a team and having the

responsibility of directing said team towards their goals. What a person in a manager position

does is direct their subordinates; contrastingly, a leader must have the capacity to inspire their

followers, so they feel a desire to partake in the obtainment of common goals. (Duggal, 2024)

Although leadership and management require working with people, the routes each of them takes

are opposite. Managers tend to avoid getting as emotionally invested as leaders do when it comes

to problem-solving. Management has more of a strict methodology than leadership. Managing

involves providing structure by organizing and planning, being punctual, and following rules.

Meanwhile, leadership is more about innovating and keeping an open mind; this involves using

creativity to envision change and become adaptable; empowering followers, and achieving

collaboration. (Northouse, 2021)

These concepts diverge in several aspects, for example, their vision, duty, and behavior.

Regarding their vision, a manager’s focal point is mostly just to advance the team’s progress

from point A to a previously established point B. Instead, leaders must share their vision with

others, and based on it, determine the direction in which the team should go. For this reason, it is

crucial for a leader to understand where the team stands, to think about where they ought to go,
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as well as how to guide them there. Concerning their duty, part of a manager’s job is to

successfully attain desired results by making use of the available resources and adhering to the

rules. A leader needs to think about ways to empower other members to increase their

engagement with their work and their willingness to go the extra mile; to therefore improve their

performance and acquire better results. As for their behavior, management involves certain

predetermined tasks within a manager’s job description; however, leadership has more of a broad

meaning, it is not like having specific items to check on a to-do list. Leadership is not about what

leaders do, but how they do it. (Rossingol, 2023)

Leadership and Management in Public Safety

Even though they are separate approaches, they are meant to work together to ensure efficient

public safety. The reason both are necessary is because each one has something to offer. On one

hand, leaders are the ones in charge of finding innovative ways to adapt to evolving threats;

making sound decisions during high-stress situations; building a connection based on trust with

the community, creating a bridge between the personnel and the public; fostering internal

motivation among team members so they can carry out their tasks purposefully. (Scism, 2021)

Managers, on the other hand, are the ones who carry on their shoulders the responsibility of

setting the standards regarding their employees’ performance and making sure that they are up to

said standards; ensuring the personnel gets the proper training they require; overseeing the

proper usage of resources, for more efficiency; and guaranteeing that all the on-going operations

run smoothly overall. Independently on their similarities or differences, they both make their

contributions to public safety and are equally as necessary. (Staff & Staff, 2024)
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Which one is most critical to Public Safety?

Before deciding which one is more crucial, it is important to remember that both leadership and

management are valuable in achieving effective public safety. They might have similarities, yet

they are still different, for it is helpful to break them down and examine them.

Leadership comes into play at times like high-pressure circumstances where important decisions

need to be made, since this requires a person capable of analyzing these situations calmly and

making good calls despite the stressful conditions they might be facing at the time. It is known

that threats are a subject that keeps evolving, especially in the case of public safety matters. This

calls out for visionary leaders who can foresee these changes, as well as coming up with creative

solutions to straighten out those issues. (Duggal, 2024)

Not only should leaders find ways to adapt and overcome emerging concerns, but they must also

think farther ahead and set long-term goals that can satisfy the current and future needs of the

public, along with the necessary strategies to accomplish them. These objectives are meant to

align with the demands of the community. Because the community and the well-being of its

members are the top priority, it is paramount to build a relationship of mutual trust between the

parties. This will result in more engagement from both ends, a stronger connection, and a safe

and healthy environment. Given how emotionally exhausting the jobs in this field can be, another

essential task for leaders is to create an atmosphere of positivity so this can boost team members’

morale and make them feel motivated and carry out their functions purposefully. (Staff & Staff,

2024)
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This sort of emotional involvement, with the personnel and the community members, is not the

approach a manager would resort to; neither is the ability to use creativity to find alternative

solutions to a problem and adapt to difficult circumstances.

All these reasons point towards leadership being most critical, for the instance of public safety.

There are just specific elements involved in leadership that are not present in the role of a

manager and are almost mandatory factors for public safety. This does not mean that

management is not needed for public safety, either.

Among the many tasks managers are in charge of, the distribution of resources is one to be

mentioned. This means their job is to administer all the available resources in the most effective

way possible to prevent the lack of supplies or personnel in a given case of an emergency.

Managers are also in charge of setting performance expectations; they not only set these

standards but hold their subordinates up to them too. They must evaluate their team and provide

constructive criticism, ensuring consistency in the quality of their work. Managers play a big part

in maintaining order in the workplace since they are known for sticking to the norms and helping

others understand their responsibilities within the team. (Rossingol, 2023)

This shows that management also plays its role, therefore it is not exactly less important, just not

as crucial. Leadership cannot work as effectively for public safety, without management. They

are two forces that complement each other, each one playing a significant role.

Leadership as a neutral process

From the point of view of leadership as a concept independent from morality, it is considered

merely as a tool. A tool only does what the hand wielding it tells it to do, leadership works

similarly. A leader is someone who has the capacity to exert influence on other people to affect
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their behavior and make them act a certain desired way. Throughout time, we can see multiple

examples of leadership being put to both, good and bad use. Because at the end of the day

leadership, on its own, is not either good nor is it bad; it is up to the person implementing it to

decide the purpose for which it will be used. (Northouse, 2021)

Leadership as a moral process

From this viewpoint, a person should not be considered a leader, or at least not a good one.

One, simply by judging their ability to influence the people that surround them. Ethics plays a

significant role in this perspective of leadership. Good leaders are those who, apart from people’s

motivation, manage to raise their morals and values as well. Promoting positive principles is a

key aspect that will inspire followers to work towards a better and brighter future, and to attain

said common goal. Leadership without a moral compass could just be considered manipulation.

(Northouse, 2021)

Assigned vs. Emergent Leadership in Public Safety

There are various multiple for considering someone a leader. In this case, two of them are the

formal assignment of a leadership position at work, and the informal imposition of the role per

the response of the person’s peers. (Northouse, 2021)

Assigned leadership, like the name says, is the one where the position is given to the person by

someone of higher rank at the workplace. The appointment of this position could be based on

various factors for example experience, qualifications, or seniority. This type of leadership has

certain advantages like providing hierarchy and promoting order within the team. Designating a

leader is useful for having someone to hold accountable for the team’s performance, which

should encourage them to strive for positive results. (Northouse, 2021)

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Just like there are some advantages, there are also a couple of disadvantages to this type of

leadership style. To mention one of them, we could say that, at times, the person who had been

selected for the position is not exactly leader material, which can end up in situations like the

struggle to fulfill their duties due to a lack of leadership skills, or the misuse of their influence to

prioritize their personal gain over the needs of the organization. (Northouse, 2021)

Contrastingly, there is emerging leadership. In which the leader is the person who arises as

someone influential organically within a group, and not someone to whom the role is forced.

Fellow workers just seem to naturally recognize this person's leadership qualities and gravitate

toward them. There are some skills for which a leader can be identified, interpersonal ones for

example like; being able to communicate effectively, actively listening, and motivating and

inspiring others. Another relevant factor is their personality, traits like confidence, decisiveness,

and charisma happen to be very appealing to other people. (Northouse, 2021)

Emergent leadership has strengths, like allowing the leader role to come from anyone in the

team, resulting in a wider range of perspectives and ideas. The leader will be someone who can

truly understand what the group’s needs are and will be able to connect with them at a deeper and

more personal level. Another positive aspect is that, as the leader will be someone respected by

the group, there will be more engagement and motivation on everyone’s part. (Northouse, 2021)

The weaknesses present in this type of leadership are that the lack of formality could often lead

to ambiguity around. who the person in charge of the team ia. There could also be competition

regarding the leader position and it could escalate into conflict. Additionally, in some scenarios,

the emergent leader might be someone who does not possess the required expertise to handle the

situation at hand. (Northouse, 2021)

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In the Bible, Mark 10:42-45, Jesus challenges the traditional view of leadership as ruling over

others. He emphasizes that true leaders serve their followers. Jesus was always a character

defined by humility. In the case of emergent leadership, the leader will be part of the group and

not necessarily considered someone who is above the rest. As part of the team, they understand

their fellow workers and their needs, which contributes to them addressing these demands in

every way the can. (Mark 10:42-45 (NIV), n.d.)

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References

Duggal, N. (2024, February 1). Leadership vs Management: Understanding The Key Difference.

Simplilearn.com. https://www.simplilearn.com/leadership-vs-management-difference-

article

Northouse, P. G. (2021). Leadership: Theory and Practice. SAGE Publications.

Scism, R. (2021, May 14). Know your people: the key to effective leadership in public safety.

Lexipol. https://www.lexipol.com/resources/blog/know-your-people-the-key-to-effective-

leadership-in-public-safety/

Staff, H., & Staff, H. (2024, January 9). The similarities and differences between leadership and

management. HRDQ. https://hrdqstore.com/blogs/hrdq-blog/the-similarities-and-

differences-between-leadership-and-management#table-of-contents-12

Rossingol, N. (2023, July 10). Leadership vs. Management: Fundamental Differences You Need

to Know. Runn. https://www.runn.io/blog/leadership-vs-management

Mark 10:42-45 (NIV). (n.d.). Bible Gateway. https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?

search=Mark%2010%3A42-45&version=NIV