Posted by denised in Over at the Ventura County Star Ritch K. Eich, poses a great question – Were you meant to be a leader or just a boss? Well, which one are you? Eich makes several clear distinctions, including:
- A leader is a champion for his or her employees. The boss tends to see his or her employees as a means to an end.
- A leader shows congeniality and respect to everyone regardless of his or her rank. The boss may seek to be pleasant and charming to executives but is indifferent or even demeaning toward direct reports. The saying “smiles up the organization and frowns down the organization” captures the point well.
- A leader will prohibit his managers from being demeaning, disrespectful or verbally abusive to others. A boss often turns his back on such behavior and may exhibit it himself.
Eich rightly argues that any person in a decision-making capacity, formal or informal, who advances the strategic goals of the business, who contributes mightily to institutional performance and who treats people fairly, honestly and compassionately is a leader. Everyone else, by definition, is just a boss. And therein lies the problem. At a time when leadership is needed the most, our companies, schools and politics are rife with bosses and too few leaders. The long term effects of that will be reflected in our ability to do business and affect true change on a global scale.
To read Eich’s complete list of what differentiates a leader from a boss, click here.
