Are You Just A Boss Or A Leader?

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A good boss is one who gets the work done from his juniors. Now there are many of doing this. If you are a strict boss, your team will not dare to be late on deadlines. Obviously you will be successful as a boss. That makes you a good boss for the organisation you are serving but does it make you a leader too? Not really. The qualities of a leader are not always present in a good boss.

So if you want to be a visionary, you need to have the qualities of a leader. Confused? Answer the following questions and you will know whether you are just a good boss or a true leader.

Do you 'drive' employees or 'guide' them?

A good boss can drive his/her employees to achieve their targets. But only a good leader can instill the drive to work hard in his/her subordinates.

Do your subordinates fear you or are they inspired by you?

A strict boss is feared by his/her employees. And when people fear you, they will do anything to please you. If your employees fear you, they will do the work that you give them. You are loved only when your employees are inspired by you. An inspired employee over-achieves his/her targets. You need the qualities of a leader to inspire an employee to do more than his/her job profiles requires.

Do you just 'know' to do things or can you teach your subordinates?

A leader has to be first and foremost an accomplished teacher. It is not enough to have the knowledge yourself. You must also teach your team to do the same. If you cannot do that, you will only be good at bossing people.

Do your sentences begin with 'I' or 'We'?

The most important quality of a leader is to take everyone along with him/her. That is why a leader always says 'We' instead of 'I'. It is a subconscious quality that shows the difference between a boss and a leader. There can be no authority without accountability. Only if a leader is responsible for the failures of his team can he/she take credit for their success.

Do you 'use' your people for doing the job or do you 'develop' them as assets?

The most important asset of a company is its human resources or people. So, you can choose to 'use' people to finish an assignment and then discard them. But then, every time an employee feels 'used', he/she will leave. So all the effort you have put into training him/her is wasted. A good leader retains his employees.

So, now you be the judge of whether you are a boss who is hated but feared or a leader who is loved and still gets the job done.