**2.1 Managers versus leaders**

It is important to distinguish managers from leaders. A manager is one who is focused on assuring that all systems in an organization are maintained and designed to support workers in successfully completing their assigned jobs and assure positive operational functioning [1]. Managers are typically in charge of high-level factors required to run an organization. Management skills include communication, leadership, empathy, multitasking, and the ability to be detailed-oriented, problem-solver, organizeer, planner, and coordinator.

The network for social work management provides a place for educating, training, mentoring, and coaching students, managers, and leaders about social work management. This organization developed a framework with detailed competencies for successful management and leadership in public as well as private human service organizations. The competencies are delineated below.


*Perspective Chapter: The Significance of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in Social Work… DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.106608*


Each competency has performance indicators that can be utilized by managers and leaders for self-assessment of their skills.

In management, there are three tiers that include top level (administrative), middle level (executory), and lower level (supervisory). All organizations have a chain of command or hierarchy. Research findings have shown that middle managers play a key role in diversity, equity, and inclusion experiences of employees and their feelings of belonging in the workplace; middle managers must be involved in diversity and inclusion activities to demonstrate their interest in employees and their professional growth [3]. Several ways that organizations can involve middle managers in diversity and inclusion are as follows: modeling behaviors desired from middle managers, i.e., attending diversity, equity, and inclusion training and mentoring

diverse employees; encouraging affinity groups to ground their work in relevant organizational issues and extend an invitation to managers to attend affinity events; encouraging middle managers to sponsor affinity groups, reward middle managers who are champions for diversity, equity, and inclusion, and include DEI as part of performance evaluation; and allocating online resources to assist middle managers in addressing issues and/or challenges related to diversity, and post scorecards with measurable behavioral outcomes [3].

A high degree of emotional intelligence is the hallmark of an effective leader, according to Goleman's research of over 200 large and global companies; components of emotional intelligence are self-awareness, self-regulation, motivation, empathy, and social skill [4]. The leader as well as the organization benefit from emotional intelligence. Leadership is "the process of facilitating collective efforts to understand and influence people to realize what is to be done and how to realize the shared objective" [5]. Research has demonstrated the importance of the relationship between leadership and knowledge sharing within effective organizations [6–9]. In successful organizations, there must be good managers and good leaders. It is imperative for social work managers and leaders to adhere to the values and mission of the social work profession.
