A boss manages their employees, while a leader inspires them to innovate, think creatively, and strive for perfection. Every team has a boss, but what people need is a leader who will help them achieve greatness. Not sure how to tell the difference between the two? Here are some key traits that differentiate bosses from leaders.
We hope this infographic will help you picture the difference between a manager and a leader. Can you identify which leadership characteristics you have below?
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Boss
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Leader
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Takes a ‘know-it-all' stance
Assumes themselves to be the expert on every topic
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Open to new ideas
Receptive to learning new insights from others
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Communicates in one direction
Falls out of touch with issues faced by team
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A two-way communicator
Sets clear expectations while listening to team’s needs
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Criticizes
Feedback is unconstructive and discouraging
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Encourages
Motivates staff to put their best efforts forward
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Tears people down
Destructively finds faults in staff, but fails to identify goals for improvement
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Builds people up
Identifies employees’ strengths and helps guide their application
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Micromanages
Allows very little autonomy in the workplace
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Empowers
Guides team members to help them find appropriate solutions
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Quick to blame others
Doesn’t accept responsibility for own actions
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Takes accountability
Reflects on mistakes and learns from them
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Focuses on themselves
Only cares about advancing personal career, goals, and agenda
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Focuses on their team
Works with a “we” instead of a “me” attitude
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Demands results
Asks employees to go above and beyond, without offering support or resources
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Inspires
Leads by setting a strong example, providing guidance when challenges arise
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