FOR the past 15 years that I have steered my career from being a media professional to being a PR practitioner, college instructor, and finally a government employee, I can say that I am really blessed by God to have been guided by competent, understanding, and supportive bosses. It is undeniably true that much of what and who we become to be is highly attributed to the kind of superior from whom we learn and take inspiration from.
There are people who would be our boss, but rarely and fortunately for us as well, that we are given the chance to work with people who are true leaders. For this column, I would like to convey my utmost appreciation and respect to a true leader who is a perfect example of an upright and remarkable man truly worth emulating. Allow us to honor your leadership which has been very significant in bringing about what is considered as "leadership by example."
What sets apart a boss and a leader? Here are some simple reasons (from 9gag.com) why every employee like me would indeed feel very privileged to have a superior whom we will never ever forget in our lifetime because he or she is the "best boss" we have ever had.
First, a boss is impersonal, while a leader is compassionate. It is indeed atypical for a boss to mingle and get personal with his employees because most bosses think that they are on a higher level compared to his/her staff. This is the reason why we also use the word "superior" to refer to our bosses. It is quite usual for a boss to stay within the working relationship that he/she has with the people working for him/her; this is why a boss who would go out of his/her way and go beyond the regular bond between a chief and the staff is definitely an extraordinary and compassionate leader. A boss would want to be regarded as a person in charge, but a leader would want to be regarded more of a colleague than a superior.
Second, a boss uses people but a leader develops people. Normally, bosses would drive people to do their work according to how they want things to be done and expect results following their own standards and considerations. On the other hand, a true leader is someone who will allow employees to be confident on their own set of skills and capabilities and coaches them on how things can be done more appropriately. A typical boss would micromanage and deal with the littlest detail as often as possible, but a leader would delegate tasks and involve everyone concerned. Relatively, a boss would always take credit for all the accomplishments of the team while a leader would give credit to those who deserve it. A boss will say "Go!" while a leader will say "Let's go!"
Third, a boss is focused on the process, while a leader is focused on people. It does not mean though that a leader who is not keen in following work procedures does not yield good results; rather, a leader who also takes into consideration the conditions and motivations of the people while they are in the duty of fulfilling their given tasks will expect outputs which are far beyond the expected standards because the employees are encouraged and enthusiastic about their delegated work.
Finally and most importantly, a boss inspires fear and depends on authority to get things done. But a true leader earns respect and gives people the needed dedication towards achieving success not only individually, but as a team of hardworking individuals. Every task, no matter how small or big it is, becomes easier when a true leader inspires everyone to work their best and contribute their own share to meet the goals and objectives of the organization.