Are You A Boss Or A Leader?

I was invited to speak at an annual corporate convention recently, presenting on the subject of teamwork and leadership.

After each presentation, I always allocate time for questions and afterwards enjoy speaking and getting to know the people at the conference and what makes that particular company tick.

I was approached by a young, generation Y employee by the name of Craig and we got onto the subject of leadership. I asked him if he enjoyed his job, and a huge smile come over his face and he told me that he ‘looooooved his job,’ highlighting and drawing out the word love.

Craig was telling me that this job was in stark contrast to his previous job that he left 12 months earlier. When I asked him the difference in the two jobs, he immediately said, ‘the leadership’.

“In my current job, I loooove coming to work as I constantly feel supported and my hierarchy are constantly teaching me new things and asking if I need support or assistance in any way. My last job they were constantly asking what I was doing, looking over my shoulder and micromanaging me.”

Same person. Same job description and title. Two completely different leadership styles.

The scary thing is, Craig is in the minority. Very few people really looooove their job.
It is a real shame, because our leaders should provide an environment in which we loooove to come to work, in which we feel safe and not vulnerable or fearful.

The attached model highlights the four different types of leadership and the employee performance and results that come from the leadership style.

Boss:
If you are a boss, there is a good chance that you are using people for your own gain. You evoke fear into your employees and have a short term vision for the company. The majority of your employees hate working for you, spend most of their time  protecting themselves from you, rather than doing their job. Your employees do a poor job and the attrition rate within your company is high.

Authority:
You can have a title, rank and be an authority figure, and most of your staff will respect your position, but not you. People who have authority over you can tell you what to do, but you would not follow them. Your employees will ‘like their job’ but the results will be poor overall.

Teacher:
If you are the type of leader who invests time and nurtures your employees and teaches them, there is a good chance that they will enjoy their job, and in turn provide an excellent performance as they are always trying to repay your good faith and your time investment.

Leader:
If you are a true leader, you have an altruistic mindset and are selfless. You put others needs before your own and are constantly working on becoming a better leader. A leader is forward thinking, trusted, respected and has a strong focus on developing the people. If people go to work and looooove their job, there is a great chance that you will have a company of outstanding performers which in turn will have disproportionate effects on your bottom line.

How you can use this advice starting today?