Leader: “Hey! How’s that project coming along? It looks like you might need some help.”
Boss: “Hey! Where are the updates for your project? I was supposed to have the updates two days ago. What’s taking so long?”
There’s a significant difference between the mindset of a company leader and the mindset of a boss. Understanding which one you are and which one you want to be is crucial for being promoted further into leadership.
Here are the five main differences between leaders and bosses.
Show vs. Yell
Leaders show, and bosses yell.
Leaders are great at giving their team space to execute their genius. But leaders also pay attention so they know when to step in and help with a problematic project. Leaders support their team through the challenges they face, showing them new perspectives and solutions to consider so that their employees have breakthroughs that stick, building their confidence.
Bosses are prone to other practices, like yelling at their team when they’re stuck or late, telling their team to figure out the problem themselves, or simply taking over a project to get it completed, while their team sits on the sidelines. All of these practices break down your employees’ confidence, trust, and sense of safety at work—which ultimately will show up in your bottom line due to turnover.
Caring vs. Withdrawn
Leaders care and empathize. Bosses are withdrawn and composed.
Leaders care about what their team members are going through and experiencing. This helps them create the best possible work environment for their employees, while also creating a communication-safe relationship where the employees can seek out the guidance and support they need to be productive.
Bosses are a little more withdrawn and composed. Their ideology is “check your baggage at the door”, so that when employees come to work, they’re completely focused on their job. This creates an environment where employees may feel stifled and unsupported.
Listens vs. Orders
Leaders listen, and bosses give orders.
Leaders will delegate tasks, but they listen carefully before making their decisions. Leaders pay attention to their team members’ strengths and weaknesses. They listen to their employees’ objections to see if there is an issue with the plan or if they should carry on as normal. Leaders will also check in on their team’s progress to see if they need support, if anything needs to be adjusted, or if things are going according to plan. Leaders trust their team to figure it out, but they do not abandon their team when they run into rough waters.
Bosses tell their team members what to do, and have them complete projects on their own exactly as directed. With a boss, there is often little room for imagination, innovation, or making things better. Bosses prize listeners and line towers over team members who think outside of the box and go against directions. Bosses often require their employees to figure things out on their own, and will usually step in when it’s absolutely required, taking over the project instead of guiding their people through it.
Quality vs. Quantity
Leaders prioritize quality. Bosses prioritize quantity.
Leaders know that something done right is something that they can stand behind. Leaders also know that when the focus is on quality that means less overhead, less wasted time and materials, higher profit margins, and better attention to detail. They believe in having a quality experience for their team and their customers.
Bosses believe the most important thing is to hit their numbers. Quotas need to be met or exceeded. Workers need to push themselves to be their most productive. Breaks are those pesky things that aren’t really necessary but required by law. If it were up to bosses, all of the time at work would be spent working. When bosses fixate on quantity and making quotas, their eye for quality goes down. Good becomes good enough, and the experience of quantity over quality is felt in the company’s bottom line.
Productivity vs. Time
Leaders believe in productivity based rewards. Bosses believe in time-based rewards.
Leaders know that productivity is not as simple as “work in, product out”. Leaders have a deep understanding that in order for their team to be productive, team members need to have their needs met (which often means not overworking employees so that they have time to rest, recalibrate, and show up refreshed). Leaders are consistently learning about high performance and new processes they can implement to help their people become more productive, while actively taking measures to reduce and prevent employee burnout.
Bosses believe that the more time an employee puts into the business, the more the company will produce. Many bosses don’t understand the law of diminishing returns, which states after a certain point, working more will no longer yield a positive return and will actually begin taking away from your profits. Because of this mentality, employees operating underbosses will often experience burnout, repeatedly get sick or injured, or leave the company for less stressful employment.
Final Thoughts
When you’re considering who you want to be to your people, think about the difference between a leader and a boss. A leader is someone employees willingly follow over time because the leader cares about them, protects them, stands up for them, and helps them grow. A boss is someone who often needs to force their employees to follow them because they don’t understand how to motivate and bring out the best in their team.
Who do you want to be—a leader or a boss?
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