Difference Between Management and Leadership in IT

Abstract

The difference between Leadership and Management has been discussed many times and is still a question for researchers. Leadership is the process by which an individual has influence over people and inspires, motivates and directs its activities to reach the goals; the essence of leadership is to have followers. However, Management is an approach that allows managers to plan, organize, direct and control in order to achieve desired results. Similarly, the concept of Leadership in the field of Information Technology (IT) is almost similar to the concept of leadership in any other perspective, but IT leaders require special insights and attributes in relation to the impact of Information Technology. IT management, on the other hand, is an area that allows managers to manage the technological resources of a company. In addition, there are various leadership approaches and styles that determine how an individual achieve his or her objectives with maximum benefits and less efforts as well as cost. This paper aims to discuss the difference between IT Management and Leadership.

Table of Contents

Abstract2

Introduction4

Discussion5

Management and Leadership5

Information Technology Management7

Information Technology Leadership10

Ideal Behavior11

Inspirational Motivation12

Intellectual Stimulation12

Communicate and Decision Making13

Conclusion14

References15

Difference Between Management and Leadership in IT

Introduction

In today's rapidly changing business environment it is not easy for people to stick to a single state or change that occurs in organizations. The role of leaders cannot be avoided in not only managing people but also a changing environment through their charismatic and transformational style (Bonfante, 2011). However, there is also a great debate on the difference between leadership and management. Many researchers believe that both the leadership and management are separate constituencies of one large area, i.e. organizational management. Although, leadership and management are not the same things, both the organizational concepts are interlinked to each other and need to go hand in hand. It is also essential to know that if any attempt is made to separate these two concepts, there could be adverse effects to the health of an organization.

Management can be explained as a process that enables managers to plan, direct, control, coordinate, motivate, inspire and motivate employees in order to achieve results (Guibord, 2012). Similarly, the management of Information Technology (IT) is also a way to manage a company's resource including computer hardware, information systems, networks, data centers, people, etc. In fact, the management of information technology includes some of the basic management functions such as staffing, organizing, controlling and budgeting in relation to any software or network projects (Luftman, 2003).

It is important to know that leadership is a broader and vital area of study for new people coming to this area. No doubt, leadership in Information Technology (IT) has received a widespread attention from various circles and is capable to meet the challenges of modern economy. However, it is an immediate need of time to conduct further research on leadership so that adaptability of this field can be increased to manage emerging business models, maintain organization's values high and ensure the ...