Introduction
Leadership, management, and followership are essential to every organizational structure, each contributing to its success and function. This essay will discuss leadership, management, and followership, provide examples of each, examine potential overlaps in these roles in nursing, analyze the likelihood of overlap between two specific capacities, and finally compare the leadership and management qualities of a current political leader.
Leadership, Management, Followership Distinctions
Leadership involves defining a vision, motivating people, and guiding a group toward a goal (Restivo et al., 2022). Additionally, leaders also encourage innovation and team purpose by focusing on the broader picture (Restivo et al., 2022). In healthcare setting for example, a nurse leader may introduce a new patient care regimen and encourage nurses to work together to improve patient outcomes. Management on the other hand, involves efficiently allocating resources, planning, organizing, and controlling activities to achieve goals (Restivo et al., 2022). For example, a nurse manager may create duty schedules, supply supplies, and oversee daily operations of a nursing unit to provide optimal patient care. On the other hand, followership is sometimes underestimated but vital to any organization’s success (Barry et al., 2023). Leaders have followers who support and implement their vision. They adhere to directions, work well with others, and complete assignments (Barry et al., 2023). Notably, a staff nurse who follows care plans, protocols, and the hospital’s mission is a follower (Barry et al., 2023).
Nurses routinely switch between leadership, management, and followership in healthcare’s fast-paced atmosphere. Consider a clinically skilled senior nurse mentoring young graduates. Simultaneously, the nurse leads by guiding and inspiring newcomers. The nurse may also need to manage resources to train and equip new nurses. The senior nurse also follows higher-ranking administrators and works with colleagues to provide patient-centered care.
Likelihood of Overlap
Leadership and management overlap more than followership, this is because for leaders to realize their goal, effective leadership needs great management abilities. For example, a nurse leader implementing a new patient care project must inspire and encourage the team and manage resources, plans, and progress. Leadership inspires change, while management implements it.
Differentiating Political Leadership and Management
To illustrate the differences between leadership and management in politics, let us consider a renowned US politician, US President Joe Biden. Joe Biden inspires and leads by articulating a national vision. For example, Biden stressed togetherness and healing national tensions during his campaign and presidency. His leadership is distinguished by empathy, which was vital during the time of the COVID-19 pandemic which was characterized heavily by societal instability. Also, through his speeches Biden unites people through his talks and actions (Hao, 2023).
In terms of management, Biden manages governance complexity well. His concentration is policy implementation, decision-making, and navigating complex laws. For instance, the Biden administration’s COVID-19 immunization deployment needed careful planning, resource allocation, and federal, state, and local coordination (Hao, 2023). This shows his ability to manage a large-scale project. Politicians like Joe Biden have supporters who help them achieve their aims. Biden voters and sympathizers who support his policies are followers. Biden’s cabinet and party members who share his vision support and implement the administration’s program as followers.
Conclusion
In conclusion, leadership, management, and followership are distinct but interwoven organizational processes. Healthcare nurses often seamlessly transition between these roles. Leadership and management overlap more because good leaders need management abilities to turn their vision into action. Politicians like Joe Biden demonstrate the contrasts between governance leadership and management. These notions help people in diverse roles navigate organizational and political contexts more nuanced and effectively.
References
Barry, E. S., Teunissen, P. W., & Varpio, L. (2023). Followership in interprofessional healthcare teams: a state-of-the-art narrative review. BMJ Leader, leader-000773. https://doi.org/10.1136/leader-2023-000773
Hao, F. (2023). Biden’s approval, record inflation, economic recovery, COVID-19 mortality, and vaccination rate among Americans—A longitudinal study of state-level data from April 2021 to January 2022. Preventive Medicine Reports, 36. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pmedr.2023.102454
Restivo, V., Minutolo, G., Battaglini, A., Carli, A., Capraro, M., Gaeta, M., Odone, A., Trucchi, C., Favaretti, C., Vitale, F., & Casuccio, A. (2022). Leadership Effectiveness in Healthcare Settings: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Cross-Sectional and Before–After Studies. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 19(17). https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph191710995
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