One of my favorite toys as a child was a kaleidoscope. Yes, that likely dates me a bit. I grew up before modern social media, cell phones, internet, and video games. Peering into a kaleidoscope held fascination. Patterns of geometric shapes and colors emerged and changed as I turned the dial. No pattern was right or wrong. Each was special on its own merits.
I find the kaleidoscope imagery helpful whenever I am asked to explain the difference between leadership and management. Leadership and management are not the same, but they are related. They flow into one another, but each contains its own unique patterns and value like the intricate designs in the kaleidoscope. Turn the dial toward management and certain patterns emerge. Turn the dial toward leadership and a different picture comes into view.
Which is better?
In part, it depends upon whom you ask. Ask leadership scholars (like me), and we’ll suggest the priority of leaders, leadership, and leadership studies. Ask management scholars, and they will do the same about managers, management, and management studies. Management is often about efficiencies of current processes. Leadership is often about change for the future and prioritizing people. Perhaps then, the question of which is better is the wrong question.
"Management is often about efficiencies of current processes. Leadership is often about change for the future and prioritizing people."
Instead, the preferred question focuses on what each entails and its appropriate place in the function of organizations. We can get some insights by looking at course lists in leadership versus management degrees. For example, management degrees tend to focus on policy and personnel matters. They may have extensive courses in human resource management, project management, personnel, legal issues, and communication. All of these elements are crucial for organizational success. However, management programs often have just a few courses on leadership or supervision. In the kaleidoscope image of management degrees, leadership may only be a small piece of the whole. Leadership is a part of management in that image.
In contrast, leadership programs maintain central focus on leadership components. Leadership gets broken down into its multiple emphases, including self-leadership, decision-making, ethics, groups, teams, organizational culture, multicultural dimensions, and developing others. Policy and personnel matters only appear in very limited ways. Management is a smaller part of the larger leadership image in that kaleidoscope view.
Every organization needs both leadership and management. If either is missing, organizational mission will suffer. For students exploring their academic future and asking whether to pursue a leadership or management degree, the key consideration is aligning to what the student believes is important and which best fits their perspectives, interests, and future goals for the kaleidoscope image they want to build for themselves and their careers.
To browse all of IWU's online management and leadership degrees, visit IWUisHow.com.