While it’s true that every leader is a boss, not every boss is a leader.
What’s the difference? Simple!
A boss is respected and obeyed because of his/her seniority, or perhaps they are the owner of a small business and are respected by their employees only because they’re the ones who hand out the paychecks on payday. Many bosses rely on fear to keep employees in line and demand obedience with a threat of being fired for non compliance.
On the other hand…
A leader is respected and looked up to – not only because of seniority, but also because of they possess qualities of character and ability.
Those who
aspire to become leaders must lead by example. Their team must always
have a firm belief that the leader will be there during every crisis.
Not to fix the blame, but fix the problem. If team members see that
their leader does not practice what he/she preaches, that so-called
leader will not get any respect. They may be obeyed, but the respect
will be missing. Leaders gain this respect by their actions. They
look and act with sincerity. There is no mismatch between their words
and deeds.
To be a leader, you must display
characteristics such as knowledge, planning, anticipation, foresight,
action, and perspective. You must take a result oriented approach,
respect every team member, earn their respect and act as a friend and
mentor. I know this is quite a list, but if you want to become a good
leader you’ll need these qualities. This is true not only for
national leaders but for people in every leadership position in any
organization. Once a person earns the respect of their subordinates,
they cease to be just a boss, and become a leader.
If you need help transitioning from boss to leader, check out our comprehensive training course The Knack of Managing and Supervising. https://training4yourbusiness.com/product/the-knack-of-managing-and-supervising/
