Leadership and Management Strategic Decision Making

Whether in leadership or management roles strategic decisions must include strategic analysis. This “…incorporates evaluating a company's internal potential and assessing its external environment…”( Moskalenko, 2018). It is highly desirable, like the greatest business models, leadership and managerial skills will both be present in one person. This is not usually the case. The greater companies fill their ranks with the skills needed and they work together towards success. Decision making of every type is played out in intricate, multifaceted, energetic and changing social systems. (Middlehurst, 2008) There is a difference, though, between leadership strategic decision making and management strategic decision making.

“Relationship-based leadership is grounded upon a leader’s genuine investment in the personal and professional development of their staff members, regardless of performance outcome” (Mazza, Steve Camping Magazine, 2016). This concurs with the idea that a great leader can relate to others in such a way as to extract more than was expected. Leadership decisions include, but are not limited to how to promote team interaction, how to maintain an intellectually safe environment, and how to build trust. “Leadership… is also the ability to get extraordinary achievement from ordinary people” (Khoshhal & Guraya, 2016).

“Leaders produce leaders and managers produce followers” (Khoshhal & Guraya, 2016). To be an effective leader in all capacities one must follow a proven path or blaze a new trail. The leader has the strategic decision making capability to construct a framework for future applications in the workplace. Leaders “make strategic decisions aimed at innovation and change basic business strategies, intervene in conflict and risk taking (Celik, Gungor, Ozkul and Tuna, 2016)

“Managers embrace process, seek stability and control, and instinctively try to resolve problems quickly—sometimes before they fully understand a problem’s significance” (Zaleznik, 2004) and Hollie Delaney’s post, “Being a manager means you are the individual who is “in charge” of the task at hand and to oversee a team and project and accomplish a goal.”   “Management is essentially a practical activity and managers use a range of knowledge and skills within their practice” (Hafford-Letchfield & Bourn, 2011). Management strategic decision making is following the plan of the leadership to accomplish a task.This aligns with Ms. Hairston’s statement that managers lean towards rationality and control in their strategic decision making. Managers are problem-solvers when making strategic decisions.

  

Resources

Hafford-Letchfield, T., & Bourn, D. (2011). ‘How Am I Doing?’: Advancing Management Skills Through the Use of a Multi-source Feedback Tool to Enhance Work-based Learning on a Post-qualifying Post-graduate Leadership and Management Programme. Social Work Education, 30(5), 497–511. 

Khoshhal, K. I., & Guraya, S. Y. (2016). Leaders produce leaders and managers produce followers. A systematic review of the desired competencies and standard settings for physicians' leadership. Saudi medical journal, 37(10), 1061–1067. doi:10.15537/smj.2016.10.15620

Mazza, Steve. Camping Magazine. Mar/Apr2019, Vol. 92 Issue 2, p60-63. 4p., Database: 

Middlehurst, R. (2008). Not Enough Science or Not Enough Learning? Exploring the Gaps between Leadership Theory and