Manager versus Leader

"Management is efficiency in climbing the ladder of success; while, leadership

determines whether the ladder is leaning against the right wall.”-Stephen R. Covey, The
Seven Habits of Highly Effective People

Some people just want the title of a manager without realizing what the title entails. Often
times, we envisioned that a manager is associated with control, power over someone, or
being “the boss.” Sometimes, the overuse of power reflects the success or downfall of the
team. The concepts of managing or leading are still unclear for some and interchangeably
using the terms. Over the years, more studies have shown distinctively that the two
concepts are different but can be complementary to each other. According to American
Organization of Nurse Executives, the competencies for a manager include skills such as
ability to lead, to speak well, and to have good nursing and marketing knowledge.

Once again, managing and leading are not new concepts that I learned growing up when
my mother gave me responsibilities at home. As I recalled, I managed our house and I
was in charge of my brothers and sisters while my mother went to work. I was the leader
and my siblings were my followers. In the school, I was one of the followers in the
student assembly. These concepts are observed in the community, in the church, in
politics, and all around us. Similarly in the hospital, someone is leading us to reach the
organizational goals and someone is telling us what, when, and how to reach the
organizational goals.

For the past decades, management and leadership evolved as another field of art and
science. More experts and theorists have written books on these topics. One of the
interesting books that were written by two nurses has pointed out the differences between
management and leaderships. In this book written by Theresa Valiga and Sheila
Grossman entitled, “The New Leadership Challenge: Creating the Future of Nursing,”
has pointed out that leaders and managers are two different types of people. A leader is
different from being a manager from the following categories: their point of views, goals,
actions, motivation, and the extent of their authority.

The leader deals with people and building relationships in order to do the things and
manager deals with the mundane tasks to accomplish things. In order to be productive
and reach the organizational goals, the manager must have some strategy to accomplish
them. There are four basic tenets of management. The manager must have a well written
plan, the priorities are spelled out to complete the plan, the team gets directions to
accomplish the plan efficiently and effectively, and the progress of the team is monitored
and adjusted as needed to facilitate completing the plan or achieving the goals.

Managers are not necessarily leaders and leaders are not necessarily managers. However,
to be an effective manager, one must have strong leadership qualities and personality.
According to Warren Bennis and Burt Manus, two of the leading experts in leadership
stated that, "Managers are people who do things right, while leaders, are people who do
the right thing.”

Guest Author - Helen V. Calalang-Javier, MSN, RNC,IBCLC

 Journal
About

Nursing Leadership
and
Management

Submitted by: Erin Rose Gallego BSN 4-C

Submitted to: Mrs. Lindie Loro R.N

 Interview with Sir Nerio Espinosa R.N

Why did you choose the field of nursing as your profession?

Answer: At the time that I’m about to enter college, I don’t have a
definite choice on what course do I really want. So I asked the opinion of
my high school teacher and she told me to take nursing because there
are only few boys who opt to take nursing during our time it was about
1975.
So I asked my financer if it’s ok for me to take nursing and they said “ok”
because that time male nurses are in demand. They are saying that male
nurses can get the job easily. I took up nursing not because I have calling
for it but because I was advised to take it.

Have you ever experienced some situation that tests your

capacity doing nursing interventions?
Answer: When I was a professional nurse already, I haven’t encountered
some experience like I had a “wrong judgment” but when I was a student
nurse I have an embarrassing experience wherein I’m with your Ma’am
Bulatao. I’m the senior student nurse and she’s the junior and we are
attending the patient with threatened abortion. The patient was bleeding
and I had a wrong judgment.
Because I told your Ma’am Bulatao “close the door, maintain privacy
instead of asking the help of the staff”. That time I was criticized by my
C.I. He told me “very poor Mr. Espinosa! Very poor!” A day prior to that I
was awarded A Model Student Nurse…hehehehehehehe

What qualities of a professional nurse do you think you possess

and why did you say so?

Answer:
Having concern to help other people and taking care of the patient by
heart. As part of your job you enjoy being with your patient. With me, I’d
rather choose to be with my patient and have conversation than staying
in the station. The feeling of contentment that somehow at the end of the
day you will realize that you have touched other peoples lives.

How were you able to cope up to the pressure in the hospital

setting?

Answer: A matter of time management. Just like with my experience in

PGH OB ward. We have more or less 50 patients with only three staff
nurses including me. We even do the perineal care with those entire
patients.
How do you manage your time effectively?

Answer: A matter of time management and know how to prioritize things.

Do you consider yourself as physically and mentally healthy?

Answer: Well I will not have lasted this long if I’m not physically and
mentally fit considering that my exposure of duty is in psychiatric ward
wherein we are psychologically challenged.

How can you apply therapeutic use of self in your chosen field?
Answer: By being available all the time and doing extra mile which means
doing things even if it’s not your job anymore but you still do it.

What are the best and worse experiences that you have
encountered in your profession?
Answer: The worst is what I’ve said a while ago and the best is the
fulfillment that somehow at the end of the day you will feel contented
because you have helped a lot of people not in terms of financially but in
the manner of giving service and care.

What are you principles in life and how did it affect your nursing
career?
Answer: Doing the right thing and also being strict especially to my
students for them to do what is really right. I would like my student to be
disciplined for them to learn and strive for something they want.

Can you say that you already achieve self actualization? How?
Answer: Self actualization is relative to how you perceive things. If you’re
contented and you feel like you have achieved everything you want in life
and you have nothing to prove yourself then that’s a self actualized
person. With me, I think I’m not yet self actualized because I still have
children who are in college. I’m still in the security level of Maslow’s
Hiearchy of Needs. In terms of financial stability of my children some of
them are still studying but if I’ve seen that thy are ok I thing I’d feel
contented but psychologically I’m ok because I’m happy with people
around me.

What encouragement can you share with us that could enhance

us to develop our potentials to become a professional nurse
someday?
Happy people are those who do not necessarily mean that they have
plenty in life but those who knows how to make use of the few things they
have. It doesn’t mean that if you have much money you are happy. So in
anything that you do find pleasure that can make you happy whatever job
may it be. Just be contented of what you have and be happy and love
your work.

Submitted By: Erin Rose Gallego BSN 4-C