This blog was written by our Leadership and Development Associate, Vicky Blissett. Vicky has worked in the People Industry for over 25 years and specialises in Operational Human Resources and People Management, People Development, Coaching, Leadership and Culture and Change Management so we thought she would be best suited to speak on this topic.
Please take the time to read her thoughts and if you would like any further help or advice, please just let us know.
“When I think about the difference between being a boss and a leader, I’m drawn to think about a book I read as a child, Little Miss Bossy! Little Miss Bossy liked to boss people about, didn’t listen and really wasn’t thinking about her impact on others…
Being the boss may mean that your people see you as the person wanting to be in charge, the one who gives out the orders, the person who thinks they have all the answers and what impact does this have on the team? How do we make people feel and act when we are making all the decisions and using a micro-management style? Will our people feel inhibited by this, lack the confidence to come up with new ideas and different ways of doing their work, will they learn and grow through trial and error? Will they feel motivated, happy and engaged working for the boss?
Interestingly the title ‘boss’ is not one given to an individual as a job title in a company, but one given to an individual who behaves in this way. I hear people referring to ‘the boss’ and they don’t do so with respect and admiration. But it’s not really about the title, it’s about the actions we take and the impact we have…
So, being a leader is very different to being a boss, it is still about the actions you take and the impact you create but that’s where the similarities end.
For me, being a leader is about inspiring others by enabling them to grow and succeed, giving them a chance and seeing what they can do, supporting and encouraging, really caring about your people and what success means to them.
As a leader, we can take charge, lead from the front or it can be more subtle. Even if you don’t have the title leader you can still lead people, it’s about how you are with people, your mindset and how you behave.
There are many types of leaders and we can all think about what kind of leader we are or would like to be. I like to think about this from the perspective of the people being led by me. I would like to be seen as a leader who:
- People feel they can talk to and gain input when they need it
- Works with the team to define the goals and direction
- Is there to support, celebrate success, inspire and motivate
- Listens, understands and sees potential
- Trusts, empowers and sees mistakes as opportunities for learning
How would you like to be seen? What are your key leadership traits and behaviours?
There’s a moral to the story in every Little Miss book and Little Miss Bossy learns her lesson, I hear now she’s a very effective leader with a fantastic high performing team. ” – Vicky Blissett, Leadership and Development Associate of apple hr support ltd.
Again, if you would like any help with HR, Recruitment, Mental Health, Well-being or Leadership Development, please send an enquiry to info@applehr.co.uk. We look forward to hearing from you.