What is Managerial Psychology

Business organizational needs are met successfully when there are leaders in place who understand their people, industry, and societal concerns. Organizations inherently involve humans who must be managed and directed to varying degrees, and managing is not always as streamlined as some may wish. Understanding the needs and goals of each individual or group is paramount for a manager to elevate from daily management to ongoing leadership. A good manager/leader should strive to have personal knowledge of a collection of leadership theories and applications that would serve them in different situations. People are complex beings, and great leaders have the ability to appeal to the psychological aspects of how to lead particular groups of individuals. Through this framework, leaders can have a better understanding of how to manage when necessary, and managers can in turn begin to learn how to lead. This chapter offers insight to an audience who can begin to identify a core group of leadership competencies, theories, and qualities to synergize their personal preference.