"People ask the difference
between a leader and a boss.... The leader works in the open, and the boss in
covert. The leader leads and the boss drives." - Theodore Roosevelt
The caption of this blog post probably
puts you in a fix whether you have to massage the ego of your boss. Before we arrive at a conclusion there are
various aspects to know such as the difference between a boss and a leader, and
four models from organizational behavior.
There are four models in
organizational behavior namely autocratic, custodial, supportive and
collegial. The autocratic model
prevailed initially where employees were under the mercy of employers. In this model, the employees worked as labor
and obeyed whatever the bosses said. Subsequently
surfaced another model named custodial where the employees cannot be fired as
they are provided with job security and other financial and non-financial
benefits. It is further followed by
another model named supportive where employees are supported by employers and
bosses above them. It is fairly better
than the previous models of autocratic and custodial. Currently we have
collegial model where there is no much gap between the superiors and
subordinates, and all are treated as equal.
The Generation Y appreciates this collegial model, and it is mostly
followed by American management and top global companies in the world. In this model, there will not be any bosses
but only leaders. However, we still find bosses in the guise of leaders.
In fact, there is a difference between
bosses and leaders as bosses are mostly arrogant and egoistic in nature and
they often come with workaholic attitude. Russell H. Ewing differentiates as
follows: “A boss creates fear, a leader confidence. A boss fixes blame, a
leader corrects mistakes. A boss knows all, a leader asks questions. A boss
makes work drudgery, a leader makes it interesting.” The people who work with
bosses find it tough to get along with them as the expectations of the bosses
are high and they are mostly task oriented. In contrast, the leaders are blend
of both task-orientation and people-orientation with a heart to make a
difference in the lives of their employees. The leaders adopt transformational
leadership style, and treat their subordinates like colleagues and get the
tasks executed successfully. The leaders
support the subordinates in their training and development and quicken their
career advancement. They empathize and
listen to their subordinates and lead their teams successfully.
If you happen to work under a boss you
have to be more careful in your work. As long as you do your work sincerely you
don’t have to worry about your boss, and you don’t have to massage his or her ego.
All that you must do is to be assertive in your approach and communication.
Best of luck with your boss!
“In the past a leader was a boss.
Today's leaders must be partners with their people... they no longer can lead
solely based on positional power.” - Ken Blanchard
Where Knowledge is Wealth
Dear readers,
I would appreciate your comments about
this article.
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