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“The best action of the leader depends on a range of situational factors.”

- Unknown

Leadership is as complex as the evolution of the universe. It is not absolute

and could be interpreted in various ways. Leadership could be synonymous yet

entirely different from management and applies variety in its application.

Leadership is said to be situational. According to Kenneth Blanchard

and Paul Hersey it is defined as any model of leadership that sees effective

leadership behavior as a function of reading your people then acting with the

appropriate leadership style (AFOS Handout). Leadership is situational for it

involves analysis of the leader’s style, the competencies of his subordinates and

commitment to the mission and the organization as well. It may vary from one

situation to the other at the same time from one person or another.

As an officer I’ve had interactions with individuals in various ranks. The

way I instruct an airman in the performance of his duties is different when I give

instructions to a Technical Sergeant. This is due to the fact the both individuals have

different experiences and backgrounds and have a different level of understanding

as well. More so that as we rise in the ranks our leadership style changes along with

the changes in our followers.

Leadership and Management has been used interchangeably in the

last century. Though the said terms are similar they have distinct differences.

Leadership is defined as the art and science of influencing others

towards a common goal / objective (US Air Force Doctrine Directive-1). Management

on the other hand is the attainment of organizational goals in an effective and

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efficient manner through planning, organizing, leading, and controlling organizational

resources.

Leadership and Management differ in terms of perspective. For

example in leadership a leader could desire to achieve a goal without much

consideration of his resources. He is mission focused. On a positive note leadership

is transformational where in a leader can influence the attitude of his people.

Leadership is often proactive for it seeks achievements.

Management on the other hand deals with status quo. It is

transactional not transformational. It avoids conflict and is reactive towards work. It

looks for results in terms of work.

Leadership without management and management without leadership

will not be as effective when both methods are incorporated in an organization.

Military leadership has evolved in the past years that both have been incorporated

and resulted in a new direction .

This is very much evident in how our present commanders handle their

organizations. In my experience our commanders are goal/mission driven yet they

give due considerations to resources. This includes people, materiel and finances as

well. The potential for success of an organization is optimized.

Leadership is not absolute. It changes in various situations and is best

implemented when invoked together with other practices.

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