A professional workspace includes many employees working at different capacities as they are instructed to do. It becomes really important to showcase a few qualities that can make the entire process of working together easier. As different people are working in different capacities, it is natural for them to exhibit various qualities. One of them may be leadership; people exhibiting these qualities are called leaders, making them accountable, responsible, and patient. However, there is a difference between leadership as a quality and the leadership which comes with a designation.
The designation associated with leadership is often said to be the boss, the personality who heads a particular department or a section. Often, the bosses portray a great sense of leadership and command, but there are times and instances when you will come across a personality who is unfit for the role of the boss since the lack of leadership is quite evident in his work ethics. It is, therefore, very important to know the difference between a boss and the quality of leadership to accommodate yourself in the work environment better. For this purpose, it becomes imperative to understand what is ‘leadership’ and what is the role of ‘boss,’ how they overlap, and what are the differences.
Meaning of Leadership
As mentioned earlier, leadership is a quality rather than a designation. The designation is not a definitive indicator of leadership as a quality. It can be possessed by anyone who finds himself at par with everyone else in terms of position but still can exert a constructive command to give directions or shape to the project they are working on. One of the main attributes of leadership remains that the person is free of bias, approachable, and open to criticism. The person should be able to look into the challenge clearly and devise and strategy based on equal participation by every team member.
During the time of any crisis, the person should be able to pull the team together, prevent disputes and miscommunication, and deliver the very best that they can manage to do.
Definition of Boss
Boss, unlike a leader, is a term for a designation given to a person who can command a certain level of control over its subordinates. The attributes associated with this designation are somewhat considered negatively connotated when it comes to working in a team.
A boss is often unapproachable, refuting, commanding immense control, and refuses to hear criticism. The power bestowed upon him is often utilized by him negatively, which instead of promoting harmony and hard work, promotes subordination and insecurity amongst team members. The boss is only concerned with results and refuses to partake in the procedure of manufacturing. Most of his power is utilized in silencing and ignoring new ideas and instructions from peers, which makes the team uncooperative and dismissive of their leader. Lack of communication and trust also seeps into interpersonal relationships.
Difference between Leader and Boss
| Leader | Boss |
| Open to criticism. | Dismissive of criticism. |
| Partakes in the process of production. | Doesn’t partake in the process of production. |
| Doesn’t succumb to the superiority complex. | Considers himself superior to others. |
| Believes in hard work and well-being of fellow peers. | Compels to work hard even at the cost of the mental wellbeing of peers. |
| Takes accountability. | Refuses to take accountability. |
| Takes responsibility for mistakes committed. | Refuses to take responsibility and plays the blame game. |
| Liked by fellow peers and subordinates. | Disliked by fellow peers and subordinates. |
| Liked by superior authorities. | Disliked by superior authorities. |
| Promotes a positive work environment. | Promotes a negative work environment. |
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