6 Key Differences Between Boss and Leader, Characteristics and Impact on the Team

The difference between a boss and a leader can be seen in the way they make decisions in building a work culture, forming a team environment, and motivating employees.

A boss only focuses on ordering, controlling, and ensuring that tasks are completed. Meanwhile, a leader will motivate employees or their team to reach a higher level through collaboration and support.

Not only the culture and work environment, the difference between a boss and a leader will affect the success of employees and the company as a whole. If you get the chance to be a leader, learn the differences between a boss and a leader, as well as the impact that each brings to the team.

Summarizing The Speaker Lab and Monitask, here are six aspects that differentiate a boss and a leader.

Characteristics of a Boss and Leader

The most common characteristics of a boss are using the skills of their employees for personal gain, not prioritizing the emotional situation of employees, and micromanaging their team.

In addition, other characteristics of a boss include:

• Often scolding employees in public and even for trivial mistakes.
• Never praising or giving appreciation.
• Unfriendly even though they continue to force the team to work together.

Meanwhile, a leader has characteristics that inspire and lead their team with a clear vision and commitment. A leader is also able to:

• Direct his team to have the same goal.
• Leading by example, meaning the leader is willing to do the work that he delegates to his team.
• Prioritize team coordination and collaboration.
• Provide examples for doing work, strengthening collaboration, and motivation.

Other characteristics of a leader are recognizing the potential and skills of his team, then helping them to develop.

How Bosses and Leaders Motivate

Based on the characteristics of the boss in the previous point, you can already imagine how the boss motivates his employees in daily work activities. True, they will not hesitate to pressure and provide "lessons", with the reason of wanting to motivate their team to work better. Maybe the boss will also try to:

• Believe that pressure and reprimands are the best way to motivate.
• Deliberately find team mistakes to be used as reprimands.
• Threatening employees as a way to encourage them.

Different from that, a leader will motivate with a more personal approach. They will focus on small wins or small achievements of their team. In addition, the leader will motivate by:

• Providing measurable and clear targets and expectations.
• Providing support and direction when there are difficulties.
• Celebrating team or individual achievements no matter how small.
• Supporting the development of each person in the team.
• Listening to complaints and providing the best solutions.

Collaboration and Communication between Boss and Leader

The boss will encourage collaboration and cooperation within his team, but usually only his team is solid, while the boss still positions himself as a higher figure than his team. A boss will also not provide clear direction and communication, for example:

• Targets that often change and are unreasonable.
• Directions from the company owner are not conveyed well.
• Blaming the team when there is a mistake, even though his direction is not clear.
• Micromanaging his team when completing a project.
• Dividing the work unevenly, even though he does not help at all.

The most obvious difference from a leader is that he believes that one person is not enough to solve a problem. It takes collaboration and teamwork. Here's how a leader improves collaboration and communication within his team:

• Encourage innovation and a growth mindset.
• Motivate his team to express their respective opinions.
• Give the team confidence in carrying out tasks to making decisions.
• Ask for input from all team members.
• Delegate tasks well, so that no one burns out.

The Impact of Bosses and Leaders on Employees

The next difference between a boss and a leader is in the impact they have on their employees or team. The boss will see authority as an opportunity to pressure and influence employees, while the leader will use authority as a way to provide direction and examples to their employees.

The impact of a boss who pressures and influences employees is a feeling of being unappreciated, losing motivation, and no opportunity to develop.

Meanwhile, a leader will have a different impact, such as being appreciated, having their opinions heard, the opportunity to develop through certain projects, and clear direction and expectations will make employees motivated to work.

How Bosses and Leaders Deal with Change

A boss will always feel that his way of working is the most correct and best. As a result, the boss will have difficulty accepting change. With digitalization and changes in the direction of the company, there must be new plans and ways of working.

Employees, especially the younger generation, have creative ideas to optimize their work. Unfortunately, the boss will usually reject new methods and creative ideas. They will continue to enforce the way of working that has been done for a long time.

Meanwhile, a leader will easily adapt to change. They do not hesitate to accept input from all team members. Leaders will also prioritize creative problem-solving and learn and develop with their team.

Boss-led and Leader-led Work Environment

Finally, there is the difference between a boss and a leader in terms of the environment and work culture that is formed. A boss will create an uncomfortable work environment and culture, for example:

• No appreciation, only unconstructive criticism.
• The boss prioritizes close friends or company interests only.
• Encourages overtime policies, but only for his team.
• Problematizes small things like leave, the speed of response to messages from him, to not respecting employee privacy.

Different from that, a leader will create a safe and positive environment, for example:

• Prioritizes work-life balance.
• Appreciates the contribution of each individual in the team.
• Supports the development and aspirations of team members.
• Becomes a good listener and provides solutions to employee problems.

From the 6 aspects above, the difference between a boss and a leader is clear, right? In every office or company, you will definitely find one of them. Meanwhile, if you get the opportunity to be a leader, try to learn to be a leader and role model for team members.

How to form the characteristics of a leader and become a leader who motivates his team? You can learn best practices and have direct discussions with professional leaders in the world of work in the short program Team Leadership: Becoming Flexible Leaders from prasmul-eli. Click here to register for the program now!