Most people don’t quit organizations; they quit their bosses. Your manager can make you fall in love with your workplace or completely detest it – it all depends on their approach and attitude. Burhan Mirza reveals the harsh truth about leadership practices disguised under a boss’s skin. 

Subconsciously, we are all looking for someone to rely on in a fast-paced organization. After all, when tasks are handed one after another, employees need more than a paycheck to motivate them. In this situation, a leader’s personality brings out the best in their resources – whereas a boss fails to motivate employees toward work.

The boss mentality is based on self-appraisals and flattering comments from the team. Hence, employees choose the easy way out – flatter their bosses and get a fat paycheck at the end of the month. This approach is flawed, to begin with, because it leads to a stale outcome, and the organization’s growth is either limited or crumbles down like a deck of cards. 

On the other hand, leaders are result-driven. They care about their employees and take accountability when things go south.

 

“Ups and downs are part of an organization’s growth. However, when the lower level employees take the heat, they get demotivated and refrain from taking thinking outside the box.” 

A growth-oriented organization focuses on diverging from traditional practices. And new ideas come to life when people are given a chance to put out their word. A good leader promotes out-of-the-box ideas and finds ways to implement them without disturbing or harming the current organizational practices. Good leaders push their employees to perform at their utmost potential, grow and learn to flourish professionally. 

Burhan Mirza, serial entrepreneur and career coach, is all about growth and professional development. His career advice has influenced many young and striving entrepreneurs.

He is a motivational speaker who has helped young entrepreneurs gain perspective in their lives and set a growth-oriented career path. This led us to question Burhan Mirza’s take on the difference between a leader and a boss. 

“It is important to distinguish between a leader and a boss. It’s natural for people to desire validation from others, but if it comes at the cost of your work, then you should know there is something wrong with your management style.”

Burhan Mirza added, “By no means should you be a tyrant, but you should be firm about results and keep your team motivated to get the job done and rightly done.” 

While being all about getting the job done, bosses should also realize the importance of involving their teams in decision-making processes. “It’s a widespread phenomenon that the boss thinks he is the wisest of all. This attitude will prevent your team from giving suggestions, and you may miss out on a great idea,” expresses Burhan Mirza. “Don’t be the wisest person in the room but let there be space for recommendations and open discussions. This will lead to healthy growth in your organization where every idea seems welcomed, and employees are not scared to speak their minds. The opposite of welcoming ideas is the death of your organization, and no one wants that. We all want companies brimming with ideas, healthy discussions, and motivation to do better.” 

In the modern business world – where competition can come from anyone and anywhere, anytime – just getting by is not a winning formula. You have to be steady in your approach and should constantly be learning new things. Being a boss can only take you from one place to another but focus on being a great leader, which will take you, your company, and your employees to new heights.