MANAGEMENT. There are mostly bosses, no leaders

Can there be two sets of managers in this world, bosses and leaders? It felt a bit flawed to me; after all, aren’t all bosses supposed to be leaders? Can there really be a divide? But, intuition is one and experience another. I decided to ask a few managers, both as leaders and as employees, of their experiences?

Chandra, it appeared, was just waiting for someone to ask. There was a massive out pouring. “Believe me, sir,” he exploded, “all that my boss does is go through the details of what I am doing, offer some advice, which is hardly my need. The weekly meetings are just a ritual, and to top it all, he follows, mutely, the agenda set by the MD of the business.” I thought I picked a wrong example and met up with Raj Kumar. He was a senior manager working for a large Indian business, and I posed a more direct question: “How would your team describe you, a boss or an inspiring leader?”

Raj Kumar did not offer a direct answer but thoughtfully articulated his response – he said the pressures of day-to-day targets did push him to be operational, and therefore, a boss. But then, he realises that he needs to connect and engage too, to deliver superior results and in this pursuit he sees himself playing the role of a leader. “I set out a day a month” he said, “to review our longer term future. Is our direction right? Are we working as a team with a self-belief that is rooted in the larger purpose of life, a compelling agenda, beyond the day-to-day, and most importantly, are we, as a team, enjoying what we are doing?” Surely, Raj Kumar was not just being a boss but trying to bring some inspiration to his team.

These meetings spurred me on and I continued my journey. The general lament was that we have too many bosses and too few inspiring leaders. As I was reflecting on this, Harish appeared from nowhere like a breath of fresh air!

He had just taken over as the head of a small business worth two hundred crores, with a 250 strong team – part of a multinational based in the UK and engaged in selling and manufacturing a specialty product. His expressed concern was about building a vision and making people believe in the business, its cause, its mission and the meaning it offered. I was pleasantly surprised at this. He went on to explain that as the business head, he wanted the people working in the business to have a reason to believe in what they are working for. I found his conviction and the underlying passion somewhat unusual, but extremely heartening. There was a budget to work for, customers to know, understanding the HQ was surely urgent, sorting out the myriad issues of operations, getting the “debtors” to shape , productivity issues… and yet Harish took upon himself the true task of leadership. Not just being a boss.

But are Harish and to an extent, Raj Kumar, a minority?

I dug a bit deeper into the “employee” expectations. I realised that what an employee sought was not unattainable– a sense of direction, having regular conversations with the leader, space to offer suggestions and ideas, meaningful challenges, larger vision and purpose. Not a list that needs very high levels of intellect or complex thinking. Simply getting the touch and making every one matter.

The majority of them I met did share the “leadership” perspective in terms of their role; they not only shared the sentiment but also advocated the need for “active leading” in their roles. However, despite the belief and the intent, the reality that was experienced differently.

The vast majority of employees, across businesses, bitterly complain about the lack of meaning in what they are engaged in, and the mechanistic nature of their life in the business. I discovered that employees, attribute the greatness of their business to the past, when there were visionary leaders, and bemoan that everything now has been reduced to chasing numbers and results. The thought I heard, most often was that the focus on the present alone cannot surely lead to a brighter tomorrow, either for the business or for the individual.

Thus, do we have only bosses and not leaders?

There are exceptions and successful businesses have leaders, in plenty. As a matter of interest, it is these inspiring leaders who have made their businesses successful. These individuals have made that transition from a boss to a leader – they are valued for how (and why) they lead, and not merely for their designation. They are able to create and build alignment to a purpose that is larger than the objectives and targets that every manager must perforce have. I recall reading one of the pioneers of leadership thinking, the late Warren Bennis’ interviews with great leaders. His view was that everyone, of whatever age and circumstance is capable of self-transformation. However, not everyone will become a leader was his painful but honest assessment.

The choice is ours; after all we become what we wish to be. So every boss, can transform to be a leader, if they commit to it and work on it with a sense of purpose.

The writer is Chairperson, Management Development Centre at LIBA.

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