Have you ever wondered that a boss can be a leader also but not all bosses are leaders. There exist a line of demarcation amidst the nature and characteristics of these two personalities. While a boss gives orders to his employees, a leader influences his followers by setting an example. Both the two plays and important role in the success or failure of an organization, as these two have a great impact on the working environment. In the absence of sufficient knowledge people commonly juxtapose these two terms, but the truth is that there is a huge difference between boss and leader.
Content: Boss Vs Leader
Comparison Chart
| Basis for Comparison | Boss | Leader |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | A person who gives orders to employees and behaves in an authoritative way, seeks control and tells his men what to do, is a Boss. | A person who influences, inspires, supports and encourages a group of individuals, and works continuously on the achievement of goals is a leader. |
| Subordinates | Employees | Followers |
| Gains respect | Due to seniority. | Due to the ability and quality of his character. |
| Orientation | Profit oriented | People oriented |
| What he does? | Administers and dominates | Innovates and collaborates |
| Seeks | Control | Commitment |
| Driving force | Standards | Values |
| Focuses | On structure | On vision |
| Work | Knows how work is done. | Shows how work is done. |
| Delegates | Tasks and Responsibilities | Authority |
| What to do? | Likes to tell employees. | Prefers to teach employees. |
| Mistake | Places blame, shows who is wrong. | Fixes it, shows what is wrong. |
Definition of Boss
A boss refers to an individual who is in charge of the employee or an organization. He is someone to whom the workers report, i.e. immediate supervisor of the workforce. He exercises control over employees, orders, assigns tasks and duties to them and is entitled to take decisions on a number of matters.
In the organizational chart, there is no formal title like ‘boss’, but the term indicates a person who is the owner or appointed as head of the organization, department, unit or division. Therefore, a boss can be a supervisor, manager, director or any other person working on a higher level.
Definition of Leader
The term leader, is defined as a person who possess the ability of influencing and inspiring others, towards the accomplishment of goals. He is someone who holds a dominant position and leads others by example. He is a man with a vision, who stays committed to his goal and strives continuously towards the achieving it. He sets an example, in such a way that people get motivated and follows his footsteps or directions. The qualities of a good leader are:
- Foresightedness
- Great communication skills
- Art of influencing and motivating others
- Stimulates work
- Clear goals
- Appreciate others
- Sets examples
- Takes responsibilities
- Does right things
Key Differences Between Boss and Leader
The significant differences between boss and leader are discussed in the following points:
- Boss is a person in charge at the office who gives order to employees and behaves in an authoritative way, seeks control and tells his men what to do. A leader is a person who leads other by influencing, inspiring, supporting and encouraging a group of individuals, and works continuously on the achievement of goal.
- A boss has employees whereas a leader has followers.
- A boss administers and rules by fear while a leader innovates and inspires with trust.
- A boss gains respect due to his authority or seniority, but a leader earns respect for himself by his conduct, goodwill and quality of character.
- A boss is always profit oriented. Conversely, a leader is people oriented.
- A boss exercises control, unlike leader who seeks commitment.
- A boss takes decisions on the basis of standards, organization’s norms and rule. As opposed to a leader whose conduct is based on the values.
- A boss very well knows how to perform a particular task. On the contrary, a leader shows his followers how to do the task properly.
- A boss assigns tasks and delegate responsibilities to his men, however a leader delegates authorities.
- A boss tells employees what to do. On the other hand, a leader teaches employees what to do.
- A boss places blame for the breakdown and points out the who is wrong. In contrast to leader, who fixes the breakdown and identifies what is wrong.
Conclusion
A leader is a person who leads his followers, inspires, motivates and guides them in different matters. On the other hand, a boss is someone who is the owner of the business or is appointed by the owners as an in charge of the workplace. The difference between these two is a matter of psychology, i.e. its also about the vision through which we see the world. If you are playing the role of a boss, you need to be strict with the employees to get the things done from them or else they will start fooling you. On the contrary, being a leader you have to be a good listener and influencer first, you have to play a supporting role to boost the morale of the followers time to time.
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