Is there a difference between the performance of a boss and a leader? The word boss connotes taskmaster, dictator, commander, controller or overlord.
Boss originates from the Dutch word baas meaning master. While leaders translate stewardship, influence, inspiration, mentorship, vision, command, and empowerment. Leader emanates from an old English term lædere which means "to lead, guide, bring forth, or cause to go along."
Why should we seek a shift? The shift is necessary because life has changed. Everything has evolved and that is why it is noteworthy to transform how we manage people and organisations.
The availability of knowledge has made people to be quite informed. We are managing knowledge workers and therefore the boss paradigm may not work.
So, someone at the helm of an organisation or department must possess inspirational authority. With the advent of several industrial revolutions, we also have diverse mental revolutions.
The abundance of knowledge through the internet has democratised every sphere of life. Don’t forget things like the Constitution which has Bill of Rights that engenders freedom of expression and association.
The expression means one can intelligently say something. Association in this sense means that individuals can resolve to work in other pleasant places. Talents are spoilt for possibilities and options.
Workers are many and they come from multiple settings including education, religion and race. Diverse cultures predict various mindsets.
This automatically packaging one as a promoter and enforcer of the diversity, equity and inclusion concepts. We aren’t all cut from the same clay. Due to nature and nurture, we have countless-looking glasses.
An organisation is a melting pot of uniquely endowed people. Leaders will be self-aware of these nuances and tend towards bringing every stakeholder on board. Working synergistically is great for business.
In most instances, the boss paradigm is my way or the highway. Which means therefore some talent will remain untapped. Unused potential within the organisation is akin to losing a lot of revenue.
Let me repeat if an organisation doesn’t have a strategy of optimally tapping into their talent is the equivalent of losing X amount of money.
We need data analysts and audits to calibrate these losses. Authentic and transformational leaders purpose to get the best versions of everyone because they know every person can contribute to the commonality of the organisation.
This is because they are equipped with exceptional communication skills and the new kid on the block emotional intelligence.
The boss may have super intelligence but that is one predictor of organisational and human success. The boss needs new software to navigate volatility, uncertainty, complexities and ambiguities.
We are in an ecosystem that encourages more collaborative energies than lone-ranging. At workplaces, we succeed more in the Harambee spirit. Building partnerships minimises the silo mentality of the boss paradigm.
In the olden days I worked for very limited things mainly salary. These days I work for other goods like work-life balance, career development and growth opportunities, job satisfaction and purpose, recognition and appreciation, flexibility and autonomy, health and well-being support, positive workplace culture, financial wellness (e.g., retirement plans, bonuses) workplace stability, opportunities for social connection and environmental and social responsibility.
Bosses suffer from that malady called the curse of knowledge. This is a disease when someone assumes that since they know one plus one is two everyone knows. An inspiring leader will embrace coaching and mentoring because learning occurs at different rates.
In the present times, it is a necessity and a strategic piece to equip oneself with a leadership apparatus. That is how full human capabilities are mined.
Magoma is an award-winning HR, trainer, conference speaker and public speaking trainer. Email: [email protected].
