The Boss vs. The Leader

Final showdown

In the red corner we have THE BOSS, with centuries of experience and achievements on his back. In the blue corner we have THE LEADER, a 20th century relative newcomer but with a massive number of supporters and an undeniable rate of success.

Ding ding ding!

ROUND 1: Motivation

The boss steps in. Confident of his methods, he emphasizes how he pushes employees forward, driving results through giving them specific tasks, salaries, as well as drawing out deadlines and a clear timetable. A good shot, but the leader swings back. He highlights how inspiration through heart and emotion is more inviting, less pushy, and creates a sense of ownership and devotion. Employees wanting to work with you is far more effective than feeling that they have to work for you. Instead of driving employees, he puts his trust in them and places his employees in a position where their strength shines and their creativity flourishes.

Round 2: Teaching

Staggered by the hit but still not impressed, the boss gets on his feet and hammers away. He states that scolding employees for not performing well, and supervising their work is the only way to teach them how to improve their performance. The leader however blocks and hits back. If any of his employees are falling behind or doing things incorrectly, he would show them the proper way by teaching them and leading through example. Throwing an uppercut, the leader tries to knock out the boss by saying that a true leader never knows everything and is never done learning. Even he sometimes learns from his employees.

The boss is shaken but remains standing.

Round 3: Company Goals

The bell rings again, both step into the center of the ring. The leader takes initiative and swings his fists at the boss. He tries to convince him that the key to achieving the company goals is through investing in his employees, putting his trust in them, and listening to their input and ideas. To him, the only way forward is if they all move forward together. The boss quickly hits back and accentuates that the only person who’s truly devoted to the company is himself, and everyone else is just in it for the paycheck. The company goals are priority number one, and employee micromanagement and direction is sometimes necessary to achieving these goals. The blow wobbles the leader, but just before the round ends he blocks and throws a devastating hit showing the boss that no one wins alone. The company goals are everyone’s goals if they’re treated right, his employees will no longer be employees, instead he’ll find that he brought together a team.

The boss falls to the floor and the referee begins counting.

1- Hearing your employees and actually listening to them are two different things.

2- Criticizing their work threatens their performance.

3- Coaching them and celebrating their successes encourages them.

4- A boss uses employees to achieve his goals, the leader develops his employees into a team.

5- Depending on authority is never as effective in the long run as depending on trust and goodwill.

6- Placing blame for the breakdown instead of fixing it wastes time.

7- Instilling fear is far less effective than generating enthusiasm.

8- Devotion is only created through trust and mutual respect.

9- Pretending to know everything is counterproductive and creates barriers.

10- Bosses create followers, leaders create more leaders.

The crowd goes wild as the bell rings. The referee raises the leader’s hand high and declares him the winner!

Truth be told, this is actually a more sensitive topic than people would think. The reason everyone, especially anyone in a high or responsible position, prefers to think of themselves as a leader instead of a boss is because being a “boss” has a negative feel behind it: bossy.

Anyone can become a leader, but it’s hard for a very specific reason. Great leaders have one thing in common: humility. So for any of us to become leaders, or even consider ourselves leaders instead of bosses, the first thing we have to do is let go of our ego.

“Leadership is a choice, not a position” — Stephen Covey.