Source | smallbiztrends.com | Small Business Editor
The saying “people don’t leave jobs, they leave managers” may have some truth behind it. A 2015 Gallup Poll of 7,272 U.S. adults found that at some point in their career, one in two had left their job to get away from their manager. Only one in three people are engaged at work, and managers account for at least 70 percent of the variance in employee engagement scores.
How can managers engage and motivate their employees? The key may be striving to be more than a “boss” and becoming a “leader.”
Are All Bosses Leaders?
“There is a difference between being a boss and a leader,” says Volaris Group. “One manages their employees, while the other inspires them to innovate, think creatively, and strive for perfection. Every team has a boss, but what people need is a leader.”
Elite Daily adds that “although leaders and bosses have nearly identical definitions, in effect, they are different in today’s competitive world.” The difference between leaders and bosses may be small denotatively, but connotatively, the difference is much greater.
Managers need to understand the difference and aspire to become a leader.
Boss vs Leader: 10 Differences
A boss gives answers. A leader seeks solutions.
Part of being a leader means coaching employees. A leader will help an employee grow by guiding him or her through challenges. This is how employees can develop problem-solving abilities and other skills that add value to a company.
A boss manages work. A leader leads people.
“Management consists of controlling a group or a set of entities to accomplish a goal,” says Vineet Nayar in Harvard Business Review. “Leadership refers to an individual’s ability to influence, motivate, and enable others to contribute toward organizational success. Influence and inspiration separate leaders from managers, not power and control.”
