Last fall I started reading a lot of books on leadership. John Maxwell, the Heath brothers, Seth Godin, and a few others have graced my bookshelf. So the question has been raised in my mind about how a leader operates as opposed to simply someone who is in charge. There are a lot of people in this world who are in charge, but they’re not leaders.
So how do you differentiate between a boss and a leader? Here are 11 different trait comparisons to help you!
1. A boss creates fear in a staff. A leader builds confidence.
2. A boss says, “I.” A leader says, “We.”
3. A boss knows how a job should be done. A leader shows how a vocation should be forged.
4. A boss relies on authority. A leader relies on cooperation.
5. A boss drives. A leader leads.
6. A boss fixes blame. A leader solves problems and fixes mistakes.
7. A boss rules over the problem 10% of the community. A leader works alongside the cooperative 90%. (One I need to take to heart).
8. A boss eventually causes resentment to grow. A leader fosters growing enthusiasm.
9. A boss makes work drudgery. A leader makes work interesting.
10. A boss sees problems as disasters that will destroy the company. A leader sees problems as opportunities to be overcome and learn from.
11. A boss says, “Go!” A leader says, “Let’s go!”
[For what it’s worth, I found this list from this blog. Check it out if you’d like!]
What sticks out to you about this list? What experiences do you have with bosses or leaders? Feel free to share them in the comments section!
Cheers,
Eric
Eric Clapp 4.0 
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