Earn Respect From Your Co-Workers: Boss vs Leader
Boss vs Leader – In every company, there is always an authority figure to lead the whole workforce to productivity. They are the heads in the team, the leaders in our company, and the forerunners in an organization. They steer the workforce with their ideas, plans and year-end goals. Without them, the company will lack direction and focus.
As vital as their role in every organization is, there is also a need to develop highly engaged employees. In public, our leaders are respectable individuals. But do they earn the respect of everyone in the company? Let’s take a look at the difference between a BOSS and a LEADER.
1. In Learning, Training and Accomplishing Tasks in Hand
A Boss Drives Employees
A boss oftentimes uses his authority to drive his employees. They have a mentality that “I am your boss, therefore you do as I say”. This oftentimes develops unhappy employees who find themselves following for the sake of “not getting into trouble”
A Leader Coaches Employees
A leader genuinely cares about his employees. He understands that his employees are also individuals a voice of their own. Instead of demanding, a leader allows the employees to be themselves, voice out their opinions, and then acts as a coach and guide on goodwill to get the task done.
2. In Motivation – Boss vs leader
A Boss Instills Fear
How many times do we hear a boss yelling at people under them? How does it make you feel? A boss uses their power to instill fear amongst people inferior to them to create respect.
A Leader Generates Enthusiasm
Motivation need not come from a threat. Sometimes, all it takes to push someone to work is to focus on what matters to your employees. What makes them happy? What makes them tick? A leader understands that creating joy and enthusiasm motivates his employees far more than yelling at them. Sometimes, a positive working environment is the key to lifting each other up.
3. In Taking the Blame
A Boss Places Blame
Sometimes, the inevitable happens and something goes wrong with our task. This is a major test in character because of the pressure we endure with the sense of accountability that goes with failure.
A boss is quick to blame. “This department didn’t do their job properly”, “They didn’t meet their deadlines therefore the other departments couldn’t meet theirs too”, “They screwed up their data. Their mistake is not in my hands”
A Leader Fixes the Breakdown
A Leader on the other hand, recognizes that he is accountable getting the task done. When something goes wrong, it reflects his leadership abilities. Therefore, instead of passing the blame to others, a leader assesses the current situation and finds alternative solutions. Time is oftentimes wasted from blaming each other.
4. In Teamwork and Leading the Way
A Boss Says “I” and Knows How it is Done
When a boss leads the way, he commands and says “Go!”
A Leader Says “We” and Shows How it is Done
When a leader leads the way, he shows people how it’s done and says “Let’s Go!”
5. In Taking Credit
A Boss Uses People and Takes credit
It happens. Employees work overtime to compensate for their bosses slacking off. A boss passes down jobs to his people, and thereby getting credit for their hard work, and blaming them for their mistakes.
A Leader Develops People and Gives Credit
Instead of using people, a leader aims to develop their team, honing them into better individuals on and off work. They train them to become competent with their jobs. Did a good job? The credit is all yours! Kudos to the management too!
