The Thin Line Between Being Bossy And Being A Leader

Cracking SSB is all about being a leader. The board looks for the OLQs which an officer must pose to lead soldiers of the army in both war and peace.

However, most people misunderstand the meaning of “Leader” with “Being Bossy”. The thin line which separates between a leader and a boss is – the way you approach being in charge. Whether you are at the helm of affairs of a public institution, a private corporation or an NGO, the way you approach being in charge is a great factor in the organization’s achievement. Your attitude and relationship with other group members will determine whether the organization will succeed or fail.

What then are the differences between a leader and a boss? The under listed points explain the differences:

1. A leader has followers, a boss has servants: Followers are also like a family to the leader. Remember Hitler had millions of followers while Jesus had only 12?
2. A leader explains situations, a boss dictates orders: Every follower must know what is he doing. In case of war, he must know what is the plan and how is it going to be executed whereas just obeying an order without even understanding it might become a decision between life and death.
3. A leader listens to his followers and takes fair and just judgment, a boss gives orders which must be obeyed willy-nilly: Always as we stress the importance of good listening in SSB, it holds here too.
4. A leader works in harmony with his followers, a boss drives his servants to work: Accept it, no one likes a bossy leader and with the circumstances being in war, you’ll be left alone being bossy and no one will look upon you as a leader.
5. A leader shows concern and interest in his followers, a boss cares less about anybody’s burden: That’s what differentiates being an officer in the armed forces and being a leader elsewhere. The leader has to be responsible for the safety of their men, whereas their own safety comes last, always and every time.
6. A leader is humane and sensitive, a boss resistant to emotions: As Indian Army believes in, “The best of friends and worst of enemies visit us”, the officers are kind and gentle in peacetime and roaring lions in warfare.
7. A leader achieves much through the cooperation of his followers, a boss has no cooperation, there is always antagonism achieved: When no one follows an officer, who will the fellow soldiers fight for? Whereas being a leader motivates his soldiers and encourages them.
8. While a leader makes a success of any project he has at hand, the boss is likely to end up in an unsuccessful way. After all working as a group with everyone’s support even motivates the leader.
9. A leader is open to correction, a boss claims to know it all: A leader accepts his faults and mistakes whereas a boss is always overconfident.
10. A leader says let’s go, a boss says go: Remember, being a leader is always about the wellness of others and leading from the front.

Taking a careful look at the aforementioned, it is not hard to see that we already have plenty of bosses in our places of work. The world, however, awaits the emergence of leaders today and those leaders are always present in the Indian Armed Forces. Do you have it in you?