7: Leadership vs. Management

Background

Leadership skills are essential in order to effectively manage various tasks in an organization. International Development Research Center (IDRC) defines leadership as “the process through which leaders influence the attitudes, behaviors, and values of others towards organizational goals”(1). In addition, Jay M. Shafritz and E. W. Russell, both researchers and authors of various books related to public management, define leadership as “the exercise of authority--whether formal or informal--in directing and coordinating the work of others.” (2)

Based on our class discussions and readings, the ideal leadership characteristics are divided into two categories--rational and visceral.

Rational leadership has the following traits: (3)

Analytical Reason and technical skills/knowledge

Data and facts Explicit skills/knowledge

Setting direction and targets Cool head

Control and giving orders Fairness and neutrality

Planning, organizing, and controlling

Bridge organization with its environment

Visceral leadership, on the other hand has the following characteristics:

Emotional Emotional intelligence

Intuition and gut feeling Tacit skills/knowledge

Leading with vision Passion and spirit

Empowerment Empathy

Create conditions and environment for fulfilling lives

Create a framework for aligning organization with its environment and keeping all members on the same page

Analysis

At NCRIC, everyone, including the immigration assistants are considered as leaders. Immigration assistants play a crucial role in achieving organization’s goals. Not only do these leaders have to have rational and functional skills, such as multitasking and managing cases, but they also have to possess visceral leadership skills in order to be effective in delivering organization’s mission. Aside from knowing immigration laws, processes, and visas, and being able to speak a foreign language, immigration assistants must be able to demonstrate the capacity to communicate and gain trust from children as well as to have emotional intelligence and sensitivity.

The most serious challenge at NCRIC is the act of balancing the rational and visceral leadership skills. As an immigration assistant, I often wondered if the clients wanted me to show more of my visceral leadership skills while communicating with them, such as expressing empathy and encouraging them, or if they wanted me to be more rational and state their chances of getting a legal status in the U.S. Furthermore, it is a challenge to show fairness/neutrality (a rational leadership skill) towards U.S. immigration issues and laws after hearing the hardships of an undocumented, unaccompanied child. Balancing rational and visceral leadership skills is not an easy task--while some people are born to have great leadership skills, others need training to gain these skills.

Recommendation

• • NCRIC, along with USCRI, should plan an annual leadership training for staff members to strengthen its organizational capacity and to develop necessary leadership skills that are relevant while delivering its mission.

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(1) Vecchio 1995, in IDRC p. 42

(2) Shafritz and Russel. Introducing Public Administration. 2nd ed. 1999. p. 331

(3) Lecture slides, week 9, Tuesday