There is a huge difference between being a boss and being a leader. Bosses have the money, own the company, maintain their power, and have people working under them – people who aren’t supposed to question their power or oppose their decisions.
Bosses are the running gears that set the business into motion, and in most cases, their employees are treated as expendable smaller gears that are made of a lower quality and when they start to malfunction are easily replaced with other employees who come for the salary.
Many companies function this way, and while the boss holds the power and maintains their distance, the employees most often than not end up feeling dissatisfied and they tend to stick to doing their job so as not to lose it.
But how much growth is there in a company where the workforce is stimulated by the fear of losing their job? And more importantly, can this growth be really attributed to the efforts of the employees who are just doing their job? – Not much, and not really.
A company that has a leader is one that will always be more successful. The difference between a boss and a leader is one of a fixed mindset and a growth mindset in the individual.
The leader is set for growth, and not only their own, but the growth of every individual in the company, and thus the growth of the company in which people truly care about the jobs they are doing – where people are motivated to do a lot more and collaborate a lot more with their leader.
But what does it take to become a leader and not the regular kind of ‘boss’ who will struggle a lot more on their own and have people do the job they were assigned to do?
There is one simple thing that creates the difference between a good leader and a bad boss: caring about your employees.
We all like to be aware that there is someone who truly cares about us, who doesn’t see us as expendable, and who is ready to step in and support us when we feel like we’re struggling. This is true in any scenario in life, not just our workplaces.
And when this positive attribute of a true leader can be seen among your employees, you will know that they have truly started respecting you as a complete individual – not just as an authority.
Collaboration is based on mutual understanding and support, and when you show care, you will receive that care back. Your employees will know that you don’t treat them as a source of your income, or as a financial burden, but truly as complete individuals who have come to help you achieve the goals of your company.
Nobody is perfect, so neither are you, and showing understanding and care toward your employees will help them see that even your imperfections are human and accept your errors the way you accept theirs.
Working toward a shared goal is the key to success in any company, and this can only be achieved if you start treating your employees as the running gears in the company which contribute to the progress – and not just follow your rules and get money for that.
Turn your company from a place filled with workers who do what they signed up for into a place where everybody is ready to collaborate and give their best, accept changes and contribute to their implementation, and respect you as their leader – not their boss.
Show more care and you will earn the right to be seen as a leader. In the end, you work with live human beings. Start treating them as ones.
Inspired by Inc.
A professional writer with over a decade of incessant writing skills. Her topics of interest and expertise range from health, nutrition and psychology.