Difference between leader and boss

The difference between leader and boss It is based on the fact that a leader is one who directs and motivates a team of people without imposing his own ideas, while a boss is an imposed authority that uses his power to command or issue orders to one or more people.

The figure of an authoritarian boss continues to be valued, especially in traditional companies.

However, in recent decades the emergence of companies led by a new generation and a change in organizational values they are generating leaderships oriented to the achievement of results through synergy, collaborative work and hierarchies horizontal.

Importantly, with the right expertise, any leader can occupy a leadership or directing position. But not every boss has the qualities to be a good leader.

Leader	Boss
Definition	Person with the ability to influence others, regardless of whether he occupies a position of power or not.	Person who occupies a position of power with respect to another person or group.
Characteristics	Self-knowledge. instagram story viewer Emotional intelligence Discretion. Team-oriented results. Trust and respect. Inspiration. Process assessment.	Authority abuse. Micromanagement. Lack of empathy. Results oriented to individualities. Obedience from fear. Evaluation of results.

Leader

In business, a leader generally occupies a managerial or supervisory position. However, he does not impose his hierarchy on the team, but tries to integrate himself into it, understanding his needs, talents and abilities of each and making the most of these resources to achieve the objectives raised.

On the other hand, there is also the case of the leader who, without occupying a hierarchical position with respect to his companions, is capable of to take the reins of the team since he has the charisma and the emotional and professional tools to guide others.

In an innovative business vision you have leaders who direct people as a team of I work motivating them constructively and together in order to meet the objectives paths.

Characteristics of a leader

In general terms, a good leader is characterized by:

Self-knowledge

In this sense, a good leader usually has a deep self-knowledge that allows him to recognize his strengths and weaknesses, in such a way so that he is able to assume what he can do for the organization and delegate what he does not have enough experience or skill.

Emotional intelligence

A good leader not only knows how to manage his personal resources, but is also capable of being empathetic and understanding other people's points of view and circumstances. This makes him a foothold for the team.

Discretion

A leader knows how to handle the different situations that arise in the organization without having to resort to derision or exposure of the failures of others. In fact, when a failure occurs, he is the first to take responsibility because he knows that the team is in his charge.

Team-oriented results

Leaders are often results-oriented, so it is vital for them to get to know their team and make each member want to do their best. As a counterpart, people feel comfortable accomplishing their tasks because they know that their effort is recognized and valued.

Trust and respect

The leader inspires confidence in his team and by doing so he earns the respect of his colleagues, who see in this figure one more colleague they can count on.

Inspiration

A leader not only inspires his team to follow in his footsteps, but encourages his teammates to follow. growing in professional or personal terms, because he knows that a team with more tools will give better results.

Process assessment

A leader knows that results are important, but if they are not what he expected he is able to assess all the work that was previously done. See failure as an opportunity to make adjustments in the process.

Boss

A boss is a person who occupies a position that has been imposed on him, beyond his abilities or talents.

Generally, the boss assumes the authority conferred by his position as a resource to impose his judgment or, in the worst cases, to intimidate his subordinates.

Although the traditional figure of the boss is no longer so common, the belief still persists that it is only possible achieve results through inflexible methods, which do not take into account the human aspect of the organization.

In the long term, this generates frustration in the teams and this can be reflected both in productivity and in a high turnover of human resources.

In a traditional business vision, the boss is used as an authority figure who commands and orders to their subordinates or employees, without taking into consideration their opinions, experience or well-being of they.

In this sense, the authority of the boss is vertical, top-down, authoritarian, and one-sided.

Characteristics of a boss

The figure of a traditional chief is characterized by

Authority abuse

A boss who lacks leadership capabilities uses his position to dictate his judgment, regardless of the expertise of the team. In this case, what he deprives is the desire for control, which manifests itself in a recurring need to remind the team "who's boss."

Micromanagement

A traditional boss needs to feel that he is in charge of the team, and therefore often ends up micromanaging or "Micromanagement", which is the involvement in all aspects of the team members' work, including tasks trivial.

Micromanaging, far from generating positive results, makes the boss invest time and resources taking care of supervising tasks that are not his responsibility, instead of devoting himself to macro supervision and vision strategic.

On the other hand, excess control over tasks makes employees feel minimized and this can lead to an emotional drain that ends up being reflected both in the results and in the relationship between the team and the boss.

Lack of empathy

A boss without leadership is generally not able to connect with his work team. That is why he ignores emotional management, since he either does not know how to do it or, worse still, does not care.

This lack of empathy translates into a dehumanization of the work team, whom he sees simply as a means of achieving goals, regardless of your personal circumstances, expectations, fears or points of sight.

Results oriented to individualities

Many bosses make the mistake of assuming the achievements of the team as their own, which generates discomfort among subordinates, who are the ones who actually execute the tasks.

In many cases, this mistake is made because the boss naturally assumes that the team is there to execute what he orders. So if the task goes well, the credit goes to you.

Obedience from fear

When the boss is only in charge of imposing his authority and control, what he is creating is a work space in which fear and mistrust are the order of the day. This can lead to friction and wear on the equipment.

This not only translates into a bad relationship between the boss and the employees, but also between the employees themselves. team members, who are afraid to voice their concerns or communicate their failures for fear of a reprisal.

Results evaluation

The traditional boss only wants to see the results and these must always be positive. There is no assessment of the entire process and resources used by the team.