“It’s very easy to be a boss, but being a leader needs a lot of skill and practice!” That’s what I was told by a participant in a leadership training program that I was conducting yesterday. And I was so intrigued by this statement that I thought I would write something for you on it today.
Now the difference between a leader and a boss is not something that we categorically specify in a leadership training program. But its definitely something that every leader or future leader to know. And once he is aware of the traits of both, he can switch to being a leader whenever he realises he is behaving otherwise!
Today I’m going to give you a perspective on two fronts, the ‘inner’ attitude and the ‘outer’ communication.
1. Attitude
As any follower will vouch for, there is a vast difference between a leader and a boss when it comes to their overall attitude. And attitude being at the heart of pretty much everything, it’s a force that drives behaviour.
A leader tends to have a more positive outlook towards life and is more solution oriented rather than problem oriented. If something goes wrong, whether it be because of the environment or due to errors committed on the part of his team; he always focusses on how the situation can be tackled. A boss on the other hand spends time blaming others and is so entangled in the issue that he can’t see beyond it!
2. Communication
There’s a very interesting topic that we cover in our leadership training programs. It’s called Basic Life Positions. It explains the difference between various styles of communication skills – aggressive, passive and assertive. While a leader operates from an assertive position, a boss typically operates from an aggressive position.
In the assertive position, a person operates keeping win-win outcomes in mind. They respect themselves and their opinions while giving equal respect to the other. They also listen deeply and try to understand the other’s perspective through questioning. An aggressive person on the other hand, is more focussed on winning. He is more concerned about himself and his opinions. And may even force the other to accept his own point of view. He may also be biased and operate out of assumptions. And tells his team what to do. A leader, on the other hand, makes it a point to ask his team how to do something.
Hmm…I’m sure I would have taken you down memory lane and made you remember and analyse your past bosses! So, were they leaders or simply bosses? I’d love to hear. And if you would like to know more, you can always call us in to conduct a corporate training workshop for your leaders and bosses😉