Most of the people perceive the words “boss” and “leader” as identical. However they are extremely poles apart. A boss is someone who manages a team while a leader is someone who leads a team which happens to be much more impactful in a company. A leader is remotely more triumphant at encouraging a team, preserving top staff, structuring a champion culture and acquiring the most wanted results. Fortunately a boss can convert into a leader through becoming self- conscious and be determined to transform.
It is evidently claimed that the teams that yield the most successful and long-lasting outcomes are the ones guided by leaders, and not bosses. So, here are few points mentioned on how to transform from boss to leader.
How to be a Leader not a Boss?
There is a lot of difference between boss and leader and that can be easily found. If you are the boss, there will always be a distance between boss and employee. Where as a leader works with their employees as part of a team.
1. Observe:
The ability to observe without taking actions takes patience. Most bosses have the tendency to react before observing and scrutinizing the situation. Be tranquil and plainly observe the actions of others. See how people respond to their specified situation. Scrutinize how others execute their every day responsibilities. By watching others, you help yourself to totally access any situation. This in turn lets you to generate unambiguous decisions.
2. Love the people:
Unless you really like working along with people you cannot actually lead a team well. People are individuals holding dynamic personalities, characters and skills. Being a leader, you should take pleasure in helping people moreover in watching them thrive.
3. Love the company:
You will not be able to lucratively lead a team if you do not enjoy managing employees and believe in the company you stand for. A boss looks at his role as a job, relatively than an enthusiasm that comes sincerely. A leader is utterly aligned to the company’s foresight and culture plus cherishes the people who put together the company who they willingly motivate to succeed.
4. Be flexible:
In a dynamic setting and in the midst of the present diversified workforce, flexibility is essential. Bosses can be stern in their managing style. A leader values the diversity of the workforce and recognizes the value of the diversity in strengths, talents and operating styles and also motivates it.
5. Provide guidance:
Bosses feel the requirement to dominate all actions. Leaders recognize that their team will achieve vast things if they get direction and encouragement other than control, so they institute frameworks and arrangement, and then give power to their teams to get the tasks done, offering support all along the path.
6. Guidance other than rules:
Bosses may often micromanage a team to pursue their required process that is planned in a policy and permits for no novelty or inventiveness. A Leader however presents direction and guidance to their team and delegates them to accomplish the desired outcomes with a level of independence. They do not lay strict rules to follow.
7. Be adaptable:
Bosses are likely to be vastly rigid in the mode they want the things to get done. On the other hand leaders realize that they should adapt their own style to their team members’ wants. They grasp and value every team member’s uniqueness, set up expectations openly and adapt their leadership characteristics and tactic as required.
8. Share credit:
A boss thinks since being the most senior entity responsible for the team’s outcomes, they must get all credit for the team’s accomplishments. In the same manner, in case the team undergoes a failure they are instant to toss blame at the individual. A leader holds no ego, on the contrary is amazed in the team’s accomplishments. A leader provides recognition where it owes, and bears responsibility for failures.
9. Delegation:
Bosses believe that their duty is to allot work, but do not really trust their subordinates to do the job as efficiently as them, that’s why they are continuously checking in, calling for changes making certain things that are done in their own way. A leader authorizes their team to do the tasks they were employed to do. An employee flourishes only when they feel powerful yet have knowledge that their leader is accessible to support.
10. Motivate:
Bosses encourage by fear. Leaders, on the other hand, motivating employees by working out what generates their individual team members to execute at their maximum potential, and through expecting enormity from their teams even when the individuals do not perceive distinction in themselves. Leaders even applaud and celebrate achievements, small or large, as they are very well aware about their teams’ prime fans.
11. Practice Risk tolerance:
Bosses shun risks at all costs since they are scared that going out on one limb can generate an apparent failure and hence they prefer to play it safe. In contrast, leaders are well aware that the best successes occur from accepting risks. Leaders permit and boost their teams to endeavor novel stuffs, plus they look all so-called blunders or the failure as a chance to formulate improvements.
12. Think before chewing:
Many people are aware that yelling at people is an unacceptable response in any situation, be it personal or business. But, because we are all human, all of us have most probably whipped out at someone at least once in life and some bosses do it most of the time. Ponder concerning what you are going to say to the person, and how you are going to say it.
13. Radiate positive impression:
Not essentially in the physical manner, but in any manner project an optimistic business image, those others can follow. Bosses usually pose an image that is very dominant and commanding. However as a leader you must boost ideas, encourage, and express naturalness. Display admiration and reward your people properly.
14. Do not put them at your mercy:
At the time of requesting for something out of the general work scale, like time off to spend for family concerns, an employee is helpless. Hear out their appeal and offer kindness and consideration. Do not make them feel wretched as bosses would do for such scenarios. The employee perhaps already is going through a difficult time. Display compassion and allow them to see your soft edge.
15. Be active part of the team:
Do not just smack some orders onto an email and command your team of efficient employees to get the job through to your expectations. Chances are more they will do well; however putting efforts being part of the team implants confidence. It is not suggested that you be a micro-manager; only be available to contribute and present advices, answers, and guidance.
16. Learn to listen:
Leaders listen to all, even those who may not have as much experience as others in the room. A good leader is a good follower. Bosses do not listen to what others have to say or input in a particular task. The top leaders regard discussions as a democracy of ideas. One way of acquiring additional invested contribution from your employees is to pioneer a weekly team conference where novel ideas are asked from each person.
17. Leaders do not hold ego:
The bosses would not ever do tasks that are meant for the job title operating under him. A genuine leader will do whatever is needed to get the job completed. Even if it implies operating the copier, preparing the midnight coffee run, or even organizing folders, even if his remuneration and job title indicate that such tasks are “under” him. This attitude not only guarantees that the tasks get finished; it even does marvels for the energy levels of the team.
18. Leaders say “we” and not “I”:
A leader is aware that alone he will be able to just travel few miles, but collectively the team can cross many. It is the reason why they generate plans for the whole team, and not just themselves. But, most of the bosses put their highly puffed up egos and self-absorbed character above the team spirit and hence, fail to extract out the best of themselves and that of the team.
19. Leaders develop their team members:
An immense leader understands that each person on this earth has got the capability to do something eminent; it is just that one requires to invest some time for fostering their talents and facilitates complete growth. Bosses would use the team members without giving any heed to their talents and prospects but a great leader would help the team members in a way that they develop and flourish.
20. Leaders request:
The bosses would command their team time and again whereas a leader would request his team to carry out certain tasks. A leader identifies that his advance hierarchical title gives them the right to either dart commands or practice power over people, however they still prefer to compose a polite request, purely because, they value other people to the extent that they respect themselves.
21. Fix the team members’ problems:
In occasion of a failure, bosses generally get down to blaming the one who caused the problem or got into one. However, leaders will get to the source cause of the trouble and he resolves the trouble at hand. They form a point to speak to people what actually went incorrect without engaging in the blame game.
22. Employ good will and not authority:
A boss will use his authority to get things done. An efficient leader generates a healthy relationship with their team members, which makes sure that there is adequate good will that flows both ways.
23. Value skilled employees:
A boss would bargain hunt for fungible staff. A leader on the other hand, invests in talented team members who are not simply interchanged, but hold a rigid capability to yield results proficiently as well as effectively.
24. Share your vision:
A boss is expert of providing to-do lists. A leader is an expert of sharing a vision, influencing the team to emotionally assemble with as well as devote in that vision, so they can freely take adequate actions.
25. Values the lives of team members:
A boss expects the team members to respect the robustness of their life, family time or rest time, however considers the team members just in comparison to the hours they work. But a leader recognizes and values the robustness of team members’ lives also. They motivate every member of the company to retain time for family and rest, as well as recreation, as the leader is well aware that this effects not only in an enhanced quality of life, but even augmented productivity, reliability, plus effectiveness.
26. Have constructive disagreements:
A boss looks at disagreements as a threat and finds way to nullify it completely. But a leader looks at productive disagreement as a precious means of considering beyond their own outlooks, seizing the otherwise unobserved chances, and formulating totally informed decisions.
27. Continuous flow of communication:
A boss would only communicate the to-do list. A leader however, often engrosses their team in conversation, being aware they hold a perspective of the company, its clients and its resources that are not accessible to them, and their input supports their ability to lead.
28. Earn credibility:
A boss would demand for loyalty as well as obedience. But leaders earn loyalty and influence a united culture of cooperatively operating workforce, towards shared objectives and visions.
29. Nurture mutual support:
A boss fosters competition among their team members. Leaders foster cooperation and reciprocated support among their team members.
30. Track team members’ successes:
A boss notes the date of every team member’s most current assessment and keeps tracks of their blunders. Leaders calendar every team member’s birthday and keep a track of their accomplishments and milestones.
From the minute a child learns the expression, “give me…” they become able of turning into a boss. Becoming a boss is simple. Just hire anyone, tell them what is to be done, and just with that you are a boss. Being a leader necessitates additional emotional maturity, belief in you and others, plus the determination to advance over ego. Not all bosses accomplish characteristics of leadership. However if you wish to transform into a leader and follow leadership management style then you can follow the above given ways to successfully change into a prominent leader.
