4 Can leadership, management and command co-exist?

Leadership should disrupt and open new possibilities, but over time new practices that have been created may be made routine through management systems. A leadership practice might draw attention to ways in which Black people tend to be overlooked for promotion in a workplace. Such leadership may involve extremely difficult conversations, even confrontations, but these could lead to making new selection and mentoring systems for Black people routine (a management solution).

Figure 7 Leadership is important in making the selection and retention of Black people in senior roles more routine

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This is a photograph of a Black woman sitting at a desk. She is holding a document in her right hand and using a calculator with her other hand.

Figure 7 Leadership is important in making the selection and retention of Black people in senior roles more routine

It is also possible that leadership can enable the smooth functioning of command in crisis situations. For example, in a study of the British Army, Watters (2021) makes the case that troops are more likely to follow the commands of their commanding officers in ways that are effective and efficient if trust has been built over time. Watters’ case is that a key way in which trust is established is through robust and energising leadership processes that include and empower.

Some organisations and groups find it easier to carve out space for leadership in and between management and command – others less so. The degree to which leadership is possible will vary depending on context. The important point is that you need to monitor the balance between leadership, management and command according to whether it is delivering required results.

You will now engage with a case study on Rosa Parks, which illustrates some of the topics you have studied this week.