You may reach or have already reached a point in your career wherein people report to you. This is the mark of professional success. Now that you have achieved such a position, the question that arises is as to what kind of style you want to employ to engage your team?

It is really a choice. Some prefer to be bossy and controlling, while others prefer to empower and motivate. To simplify it, there are basically three approaches to this – be a boss, a manager, or a leader.

What’s the difference you ask? The difference boils down to the kind of working relationship you maintain with your team. It’s up to you to decide which style can get the most effective results.

Let’s understand the difference among a boss, a manager, and a leader.

Boss

There’s a common connotation that bosses play a negative role in an organisation, especially with a millennial workforce. The role of Michael Scott played by Steve Carrell is one of the most popular TV series “The Office” may have damaged the image of bosses everywhere. But, it’s not all thorns and scratches.

Characteristics of a Boss

• The Ability to Get Things Done

A boss treats every conversation one-sided, he/she orders around the staff, sure. But sometimes this approach is known to get things done. Well, honestly, it depends on the workforce too. With millennials, this approach has not known to work, but with the older generation or the baby boomers, it’s still the wildcard.

• The Ability to Control and Command

Bosses, by their very nature, are demanding and controlling. They are basically obsessive perfectionists who want everything to be just right.  But nowadays, employees like to be led by someone who is open to new ideas and shares the same vision as them.

Manager

Simply put, the manager is responsible for guiding and directing people to get them to deliver optimum results. Most managers are organisers who try to clear obstacles and are willing to engage in finding the most effective solution to the problem at hand. The downside of a manager is that they are so focused on the “now” that they forget to create a future vision for the organisation.

Characteristics of a Manager

• Focuses on Employee Strengths

A good manager is known to focus on employee strengths and helps increase productivity and retention in the organisation. Not to mention, a manager works on a strengths-based workplace culture that boasts of efficiency and effective allocation of resources.

• Communicate Honestly

The best characteristic of a manager is that they don’t hide behind the power shield and provide direct feedback, which ultimately helps improve work-efforts and achievement of desired outcomes.

Leader

Contrary to a boss or a manager, a leader is someone who takes the team and empowers them to reach higher goals. They strive to inspire and motivate employees to work towards future goals, and getting them to understand why achieving said goals is important.

Characteristics of a Leader

• Ability to Delegate

Similar to managers, leaders are not micromanagers. They believe in the power of delegating, which ultimately helps employees grow and move towards career progression.

• A Leader Creates New Leaders

The fundamental goal of a leader is to inspire others to follow their path. By encouraging and motivating others, leaders set the groundwork for employees to grow, improve their skills, and assume leadership roles.

How to Strike the Perfect Balance?

Knowledge and experience is the key to striking the perfect balance between a boss, manager, and leader. You can gain this knowledge by pursuing online business management certification programs. These online business management certification programs strive to expose you to current themes and trends of the business environment, basis which you can decide whether being a boss will help or being a manager or a leader is a wise choice.

One such program you can pursue is the IIM Raipur online general management course. Offered on the Talentedge platform, the IIM Raipur online general management course exposes you to every aspect of business and helps you take your career to the next level. The online business management certification program strives to boost your leadership skills, helping you move towards competent management.

More Information:

What are General Management Courses?

Career Opportunities in Business Management Domain

How to Become a General Management Expert in 2022?

Career Prospects After Pursuing a Business Management Course

The Career Path To General Management: What Does It Look Like?