You've got me runnin'
You've got me hidin'
You've got me run, hide, hide, run
Anyway you wanna let it roll
Let’s just get this out of the way: Bosses are never leaders. As for leaders, they’re never bosses.
Before you object, let me clarify. I’m not talking about fancy titles and corner offices here. I’m talking about the fundamentals. A boss is that self-absorbed blowhard who’s primarily about me, mine, and me again. A leader, in contrast, is the one who’s ready and willing to serve—sleeves rolled and mind open. It could be, though not often enough, that a leader has a boss title but remains a leader. However, anyone who acts like a boss—title or no—is no leader. And plenty of leaders, even great leaders, will never be a boss.
So, it’s that simple. Bosses aren’t leaders. But how do you tell the difference between a mere boss and a true leader? Sometimes it’s just obvious. You simply know. But if you’re not sure, one easy test is to determine which direction they’re running. One will be running away and one running toward.
Running Away: Bosses Bolt
I’m going to guess that you’ve had at least one manager who was truly a boss. If not, consider yourself lucky and play along anyway using your imagination. Now, conjure that boss in your mind. Got it? Next, ask yourself, “What were they running or maybe hiding from?”
Sometimes the answer is plain to see: “My coward of a boss changed the subject whenever we needed to discuss our astronomical turnover.” Or, “that creepy boss was really good at only one thing, harassing his employees.” Don’t be afraid to dig a little deeper into their psyches: “My spineless boss couldn’t face the fact that everyone kept leaving because of her.” Or, “That creepy boss harassed employees to distract from his own incompetence.” No need to go full-Freud to play this game.
Now, let’s look at a real-life example of a corporate coward who runs and hides from his woes.
Marco was a hide-and-seek CEO. His company was stuck—mired in mediocrity—with all the vision of a naked mole rat. Meanwhile, competitors were feasting on his company’s customers.
As CEO, it was Marco’s job to set a vision, strategize, and inspire his employees. A smart leader would’ve risen to the challenge, faced reality, and rallied the troops.
But Marco? He was no leader, let alone a smart one. He preferred to play make believe, to pretend that all was hunky-dory. He also took to traveling … a lot, flying off all over the country to attend meetings for a wide array of boards he had joined. Did all this extraneous activity provide any value to his company? Of course not! He just liked to disappear whenever the going got tough.
Marco was running from his problems. Why? Marco suffered from a clear-cut case of imposter syndrome—always feeling in over his head. And when it came to his imposter syndrome, Marco, no surprise, was a classic over-compensator, acting the part of the dictator, bellowing his displeasure, and keeping secrets from his team members. Through this habitual behavior he was able to actually become the fraud he imagined himself to be.
While Marco’s flights from his problems were apparent—I mean, they sometimes literally involved flying—not all bosses make it so obvious. Some simply hole up in their fortress offices all day claiming to be busy and, like Marco, hoping their troubles will just work themselves out. Others deny, deny, deny—pretending major setbacks are just tiny bumps while blowing the small stuff way out of proportion. Whatever the case, although they’re supposed to be running things, they’re instead running away, leaving their organizations to rot in their dust.
Running Toward: Leaders Lunge
So, let’s consider the opposite. Here’s what it looks like when, instead of fleeing the scene, a leader runs toward a problem:
Frida knew that revenue was tanking in a key department, but it wasn’t anything the department did wrong. They were the victims of an abrupt and unpredictable shift in their key customer demographic. The whole industry was scrambling.
If Marco were in charge, he’d probably suddenly “remember” an urgent board meeting on the other side of the country and disappear without a trace. With any luck, his team might bumble into a solution in his absence, but then they’d have to count on Marco having the guts to give them the green light.
Frida, though, is cut from different stuff. She faced her crisis head-on. She cancelled every nonessential commitment, rolled up her sleeves, and gathered her lieutenants for a strategy reset meeting. The first order of business was sizing up the situation to get at the scope and source of this sudden about face. Then it was onto ambitious but realistic goal-setting.
Frida encouraged her team members at every level to offer proposals. One recent hire suggested they could flip the script: “Instead of trying to solve the problem,” she asked, “why not capitalize on it to set a new course?” This newbie then sketched her innovative idea.
Frida and her team immediately saw the strategic value of her counterintuitive approach. It was a bold and even risky scheme, but it would take them out of reaction mode and put them on the offensive. They drew up a new plan, with Frida directing her lieutenants to dump their old ways and dream big.
A year later, Frida’s company was more than surviving. It was thriving, having already transformed itself into a top industry performer and still climbing.
Act or React?
Frida is a true leader because she charges at challenges. Bosses, like Marco, are always disappearing. Bosses claim they’re “being realistic” by citing limitations as excuses for doing little or nothing. They pile up bureaucratic rules and organizational norms to construct battlements that they hope will protect them from the truth of their situation.
The worst bosses try to bully and bluster their way through to compensate for their own inadequacy. These miscreants lie to themselves as much as they lie to others. Some play the blame game, pointing fingers rather than solving problems. Others yell, and still others bully. The real gems do it all—anything to avoid facing their problems head on.
Leaders behave in virtually the opposite way. They sprint toward challenges and address crises as mere problems that have solutions. They understand that many challenges can be converted into opportunities.
They’ve also cultivated trust, so they know that they can lean on their people, tapping their insights, expertise, perspectives, and skills to craft and execute a bold vision. Leaders serve alongside their fellow team members, but they take on the bulk of responsibility while generously sharing the rewards. This is how they build thriving collaborative cultures that get things done and maximize success.
So if you’re not sure whether you’re dealing with a boss or a leader, watch which direction they run when challenges arise. If they charge toward the raging fire, hose and ladder in hand, you know you’re looking at a leader. If they flee or hide, sorry, but that’s a boss.
What’s more, the smartest leaders are also skilled at preventing fires altogether, something that bosses just can’t do, seeing how they’re busy fleeing the scene. And what could be more valuable than heading off problems in the first place?
Leaders act, while bosses react. That’s why understanding the distinction between the behavior of mere bosses and that of true leaders is crucial for fostering a productive, resilient, and successful workplace culture.
Do your managers tend to run toward or away from challenges? Which direction do you tend to run?
Leaders charge at challenges and embrace crises as solvable problems or even opportunities, and I can help.
Unlock the Great Leader Within! Download my free resource, the Transform To GREATness Toolkit, now!
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