Management and Leadership Development

MANAGEMENT is to the BRAIN and LEADERSHIP is to the HEART

            There are distinguishing features between management and a leadership as presented by the author Tony Bush. He links leadership with change while management is seen as a maintenance activity. He also relates management to school system and paper but in contrast leadership is concern with the development of people. Management is also associated with values and purpose, on the other hand, leadership relates to the implementation or technical issues. It is the same to say that management involves the work of the brain while leadership is the feeling of the heart.

            The author also stresses the importance of the both dimensions in an organization. As I see it in administering a school it would be appropriate that a school head is not just a manager but he/she must be a good and effective leader. For the reason that school head may not be an effective in administering schools if the focus is only one dimension. One dimension for instance management cannot stand alone it should go hand in hand with the other dimension which is leadership. In a school system there are circumstances that need managerial skills of a leader to be used in the performance of his/her function.  For example in planning and controlling the various school needs and finances, since it concerns about the maintenance and money matters of the school it should be treated with outmost meticulous and judicious management for transparency and  unblemished records to be presented to the concern authorities. Conversely, when we take into account the relationship among the colleagues and the performance of each individual that somehow affects the whole school system in general. I would say this is really a problem that the school head should also look into and as possible make a favorable solution to avoid a much larger impact of the problem. In this condition, a leadership skill of a school head is highly in demand because it focuses on the relationship that somehow involves values and principles. And in an occurrence where a problem or conflict on relationship matters will not be handled or facilitated well then this may result into a more chaotic working atmosphere for it may build a gap among co-workers. In addition, I admire the concept of leadership that it involves change since we are in the new generation then it would also be fitting that in administering a school we need to incorporate change. With the idea of change somehow it would encourages the teachers to be more innovative and creative in their teaching performance which is more suitable to the needs and current trends of learning among our students of today. Consequently, there must be a balance in the development and dispense of leadership and management in administering a school.

            I have faith that to manage and lead people is an art. From the thought presented by the author, I come up to an insight that leadership and management involve skill, style and system. Skill means to comprehend varied ideas, principles and philosophies in leadership and management of people that can be possibly acquired by someone who will continue to earn a degree in school. While, style denotes personal methods, ways and means of a person to deal and handle circumstances according to his/her experience and exposure to the problem at hand. Then, system entails the manners, customs and routines on how to run a particular school considering the kind of teachers, students and stakeholders in station where a school head is assigned.

            Undeniably, in administering a school is not an easy bend it takes a lot of effort and hardwork. I may not be a school head by now, but I accept as true that I am a leader in my own function as a teacher to my students. I just hope and look forward to apply the learning that I’ve got out from this concept of Tony Bush on “Leadership and Management Development.”