The Only Simple Difference Between a Boss and a Leader

Hi. Two good friends of mine - Petr and Iva - arrived yesterday. I took them into a pub called Sportovka. The only pub here in Boleslav where you find some very good mixture of food, beer, service, and relaxed atmosphere to chat (this is called word of mouth marketing :) )
Anyway, we sat there for abour an hour and half and talked about how things are going in work, what sucks, what doesn´t.. Petr hit one very interestign thing when he was explaining his relationship with his boss in the office. He praised his boss for being able to inspire, teach, and coach himself, quite often amid incredibly busy days at work. You must be very happy about it, I said. You bet, Petr replied. It allows mi to learn new things and have enjoy the work I´m doing.

It remainded me of a simple theory by John Maxwell, the leadership expert and author of several international bestseller on this topic. Maxwell points out in his theory that there is one and easily recognizable difference between a BOSS and a LEADER (or at least a boss with a leadership potential..) you can find out by asking yourself "what if my boss lost his or hers formal power he or her has been given to boss me? Would you still feel like working with him? Would you still vote for him as your team leader? Would it be a bad thing to happen for your own personal development" If not, your boss does not have leadership abilities and there´s no reason why to stick to your boss for a longer period of time.

Before thinking about it, consider this: there are companies in USA where you can actually dismiss your own boss. Absolutely! One in a certain time period, you´re given the right to judge his or her own ability to lead your team. If the team ain´t satisfied, the manager is dismissed by a senior manager. So it´s not a fantasy anymore.


TG