The best managers are all leaders, but the

best leaders don’t need to be managers

FINAL

Richard Parasram
Student ID: 12112948
23rd May 2022

Faculty of Business and Law, Coventry University

Course: FBLT140 PgCert in Management and Leadership in Practice
Module Code: 7070SMM Leadership in Context
Assignment 1, Essay

Word Count: 1,095/1,100 (1,038 Main body, 57 in Figures)

Explain your position on the statement that ‘managers are not leaders’ and support your
argument using a mix of theory and critical reflection on your own leadership practice.
Table of Contents
1 Introduction ....................................................................................................................... 3
2 Management and leadership .............................................................................................. 3
3 Managers and leaders ........................................................................................................ 3
4 Leadership in Government ................................................................................................ 4
4.1 Ministers as ‘pure’ leaders – the ‘Ventilator Challenge’ ....................................................... 4
4.2 Civil Servants as leaders – the hospital waiting list ............................................................... 5
4.3 Civil Servants as managers – rolling out care technology ..................................................... 5
5 Conclusion ......................................................................................................................... 5
6 Recommendations ............................................................................................................. 5
7 References ......................................................................................................................... 6

Table of Figures
Figure 1 – Framework to analyse whether managers are leaders .............................................. 3
Figure 2 – Management and leadership in Government practice .............................................. 4

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1 Introduction
This essay finds leadership and management are separate but related, and argues that the best
managers are all leaders, but the best leaders are not necessarily managers. This is supported
by reflection on my professional practice.

2 Management and leadership

Practitioners tend to group management and leadership together (Kotterman, 2006; Terry,
1993) but broad meta-analyses (see Algahtani, 2014; Jibreal, 2021; Liphadzi et al., 2017;
Wajdi, 2017), argue a level of distinctiveness formed around the ways tasks are approached,
skills involved, and challenges presented. Clarity over these differences would enrich
understanding of each domain (Kotterman 2006).

Leadership challenges and motivates people (Judge & Piccolo, 2004) in organisations
(Northouse, 2010) to do the right thing (Bennis & Nanus, 1985; Thorpe & Gold, 2016), while
coping with change (Mintzberg, 1975). Management is a set of structured (Watson, 1983)
processes and plans (Lunenburg, 2013) enabling organisations to operate efficiently (Certo &
Certo, 2013) while coping with complexity (Mintzberg, 1975). The literature shows, at a
macro, conceptual level, management isn’t leadership. The following sections address whether
managers are leaders, and how managers and leaders translate these definitions to a micro,
practical level, in the complexity of Government.

3 Managers and leaders

The terms ‘managers’ and ‘leaders’ are sometimes used differently in different contexts (Wajdi,
2017), which can be puzzling (Thorpe, 2020). Figure 1 shows a framework of options to
analyse if managers are leaders.

Figure 1 – Framework to analyse whether managers are leaders

Option 1’s supporters argue leadership and management are “radically different” (Kotter,
2013). However, managers are responsible for the work of others, therefore must motivate
others to be effective (Mintzberg, 1975) - a defining feature for a leader (Kotterman, 2006).
Furthermore, Zaleznick (1977) asserts that managers exercise authority to accomplish things
and align people around a goal, demonstrating leadership. These arguments suggest that some
managers at least sometimes performing a leader’s role, leaving Options 2 and 3.

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Option 2 appears to be supported by rigorous field research showing some managers lead, and
some leaders manage (Bass & Stogdill, 1990). However, all the identified management
functions would be improved by a manager functioning as a leader (discussed below),
suggesting a variation of the final option may be more persuasive.

Option 3 As leaders investigate reality and managers accept reality (Bennis & Goldsmith,
2010), even when managers oversee administrative and transactional processes, taking a
leader’s approach allows them to make connections and find more solutions than if they merely
accepted reality (Varney, 2006). This supports the assertion that not all managers lead, but
would be more effective if they did, i.e., the best ones do. But is this a useful framework to
analyse my practice in government?

The manager/leader framework, developed based on (largely American) corporations (Bell,

1991) has been criticised as inappropriate for analysing public services due to Government’s
diffuse objectives (Bush, 2008) and lack of profit motive (Wren, 2005). However, the structure
has been found useful to understand public service motivation and support transformational
leadership (Ugaddan & Park, 2017). Therefore, the following section supports this argument
by reflecting on my practice in Government.

4 Leadership in Government
Figure 2 sets out a structure used to analyse management and leadership practice in
Government.

Figure 2 – Management and leadership in Government practice

4.1 Ministers as ‘pure’ leaders – the ‘Ventilator Challenge’

Ministers are the purest demonstration that effective leaders need not manage. At the start of
Covid, the country’s supply of ventilators fell short of projected demand. A Minister took lead
by starting a ‘Ventilator Challenge’ to manufacture and distribute 30,000 devices in 8 weeks –
seemingly impossible. The Minister was an effective leader by setting an unreasonable goal
(Chapman, 1989), motivating the team (Anderson & Sun, 2017) and conveying the needs of

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the country (Yukl & Lepsinger, 2006) in a changing environment. They fulfilled no
management responsibilities for the programme, which nonetheless proved remarkably
innovative (Fearne et al., 2021) and eventually produced 30,000 ventilators (Korber et al.,
2021). The Programme got what it needed from the Minister as a ‘pure’ leader because
management qualities are not intrinsic to good leadership, and the team was ably managed by
Civil Servants. As I become more senior, it may be appropriate for me to adopt more
‘leadership only’ roles, potentially empowering others to develop by taking on additional
responsibilities.

4.2 Civil Servants as leaders – the hospital waiting list

When the Prime Minister stated his objective to boost hospital activity, I had to act as a Civil
Servant leader to negotiate with the system and ensure this was achieved. This leadership form
has reasonably been described as “administrative leadership”, constrained by the “political
leadership” ministers provide departments (Chapman & O’Toole, 2010, p. 127). Nonetheless,
my task was to motivate action and set direction in a changing environment – clearly that of a
leader. I also had management responsibilities, to manage the Prime Minister’s expectations of
what was possible based on reality (Bennis & Goldsmith, 2010). This highlights my dual
manager/leader role effective Civil Servants must adopt.

4.3 Civil Servants as managers – rolling out care technology

While managing a Care Technology service for elderly people, I had obvious management
responsibilities including monitoring performance and managing a team towards an objective.
However, I would not have been effective if I didn’t take a leadership approach to these tasks.
For example, although collating and receiving performance statistics may be management
activity, my approach was one of curiosity and innovation – that of a leader (Fernandez-Araoz
et al., 2018). This improved the service the public received. To be the best manager I can be, I
must adopt this leadership mindset, maximising opportunities to improve performance.

5 Conclusion
The best public services happen when Government Ministers and Civil Servants act in
harmony. Government Ministers can be effective leaders without management responsibility.
Civil Servants must act both as a) leaders who empower and inspire frontline workers and b)
managers who efficiently organise services to achieve specified objectives. Elements of
leadership are needed in both roles for optimal outcomes.

6 Recommendations
Based on these findings, the Civil Service should develop programmes to:
1. educate all staff on the leadership role of Ministers;
2. highlight the responsibility Civil Servants to manage Ministerial expectations;
3. show frontline managers how leadership practice could improve management
performance.

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