{"id":9583,"date":"2022-12-08T12:56:49","date_gmt":"2022-12-08T11:56:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.margaritamayo.com\/?p=9583"},"modified":"2022-12-09T18:42:59","modified_gmt":"2022-12-09T17:42:59","slug":"what-differentiates-leader-from-boss","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.margaritamayo.com\/en\/what-differentiates-leader-from-boss\/","title":{"rendered":"What Differentiates a Leader from a Boss?"},"content":{"rendered":"[vc_row type=”in_container” full_screen_row_position=”middle” column_margin=”default” column_direction=”default” column_direction_tablet=”default” column_direction_phone=”default” scene_position=”center” text_color=”dark” text_align=”left” row_border_radius=”none” row_border_radius_applies=”bg” overlay_strength=”0.3″ gradient_direction=”left_to_right” shape_divider_position=”bottom” bg_image_animation=”none”][vc_column column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_tablet=”inherit” column_padding_phone=”inherit” column_padding_position=”all” column_element_spacing=”default” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ column_shadow=”none” column_border_radius=”none” column_link_target=”_self” gradient_direction=”left_to_right” overlay_strength=”0.3″ width=”1\/1″ tablet_width_inherit=”default” tablet_text_alignment=”default” phone_text_alignment=”default” bg_image_animation=”none” border_type=”simple” column_border_width=”none” column_border_style=”solid”][vc_column_text]Have you ever wondered\u00a0why people want to work for companies like Google or Inditex<\/strong> while many employees are quitting from other companies? The problem is that 45% of people leave a company because of a bad boss. What differentiates a leader from a boss?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Think of a time when you were happy and productive working in a team.<\/p>\n

It may be in the\u00a0workplace<\/strong>\u2014a\u00a0professional\u00a0department, a\u00a0scientific team<\/strong>, a\u00a0hospital or military unit<\/strong>; it can be a\u00a0sports club<\/strong>\u00a0such as a\u00a0group of runners; maybe it\u2019s an\u00a0educational, political, or volunteer project, or even a\u00a0family trip<\/strong>\u00a0that you have fond memories of.<\/p>\n

Who made the\u00a0decisions<\/strong>?\u00a0How were\u00a0agreements reached?\u00a0How did you manage \\ different\u00a0opinions?\u00a0Why would you want to work with them again?\u00a0What was the secret to your\u00a0high performance?\u00a0Who played the leadership role<\/strong>?<\/p>\n

These are the questions I\u00a0have studied for 30 years<\/strong>,\u00a0applying\u00a0the science of psychology to the leadership of individuals and teams\u00a0in organizations<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

In this article, you will discover the 5 main differences\u00a0between bosses and leaders<\/strong>. If you keep reading, you will find out how much you<\/strong> act as a leader and how much your boss<\/strong> acts as a leader.<\/p>\n

But before getting there, let’s start with a\u00a0definition of leadership.<\/p>\n

What is Leadership?<\/strong><\/h2>\n

\u00a0The formal definition<\/strong> of leadership\u00a0includes three elements<\/strong>:\u00a0the leader, the subordinates or followers, and the context.<\/p>\n

Leadership emerges at the\u00a0intersection\u00a0of these three elements<\/strong>.\u00a0Figure\u00a01\u00a0graphically represents this idea, known as the interactional model of leadership.<\/p>\n

\"elementsYou will probably agree with me that there is no leader without followers.<\/p>\n

Leadership does not exist in a vacuum, but in a context that is rapidly changing. The old saying, \u201cThe only constant is change,\u201d is truer than ever.<\/p>\n

My definition? Leadership<\/strong>\u00a0is the ability to mobilize the hearts and minds of other people to achieve common goals. Goals that transcend personal interests (one’s own interest) to seek social welfare (keeping at heart the interest of the whole group or society).<\/p>\n

This definition encompasses the three fundamental aspects of leadership:<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. The\u00a0leader<\/strong>.\u00a0As a leader, you influence<\/strong> others to coordinate collective efforts.\u00a0The essence of leadership is influence. Leaders, like you, are the glue of society; you serve as a coordinator for collective action.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
      \n
    1. Group\u00a0members<\/strong>who share your vision as a leader.\u00a0Thus, the vision of the leader must fit with the values \u200b\u200bof the group.\u00a0The leader represents and embodies these values.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
        \n
      1. The\u00a0context<\/strong>.\u00a0Leaders do their work in a\u00a0changing social and cultural\u00a0We live in turbulent business times\u2014Volatile, Uncertain, Complex, and Ambiguous (known as a VUCA context).<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

        With this definition in mind, let\u00b4s see the differences between a boss and a leader.<\/p>\n

        “Leaders have much more to do with artists and scientists than with managers<\/em>.<\/em>”\u00a0\u2013\u00a0\u00a0Abraham Zaleznik<\/a><\/p>\n

        I quote Zaleznik<\/a> because he was the first to suggest this distinction, back in 1977. He observed a big difference between leading and managing that lies in their interpretation of order and chaos.<\/p>\n

        Here are 5 differentiating characteristics between a leader and a boss.<\/p>\n

        5 Characteristics That Distinguish a Leader vs. a Boss<\/strong><\/h2>\n

        <\/h3>\n

        1 \u2013 Bases of Power<\/strong><\/h3>\n

        Where does power come from?<\/p>\n

        There are two main sources\u00a0of power<\/strong>:<\/p>\n