Manager or boss?
Several years ago, I saw a pair of images online, one of which showed a pyramid being pulled by slaves, with a figure sitting atop the pyramid, whipping the slaves to make them work faster. Underneath the picture was the text "boss." In the other, similar picture, the boss figure was at the front, pulling the pyramid into place. Underneath this picture was the text "leader." Things are not this simple in working life, but there was a small grain of truth in that picture.
During my career, I have had many opportunities to work in a supervisory position. Looking back, I admit that I was definitely not a textbook example of a good supervisor. I was more of a whip-cracking boss than a leader. Now, well over 50 years old, my actions make me blush, but that's what life is all about: developing and growing as a person. Today, I try to explain away my mistakes by saying that, for example, when I was first appointed editor-in-chief, I was just a 25-year-old kid who couldn't manage the twists and turns of his personal life, let alone be a good leader.
When I was offered the position, I accepted it because I wanted to impress my peer group rather than be a productive and decisive part of the whole. I wanted to impress my friends with my fancy title, and I really didn't understand what a good leader needed to know in order for the whole thing to work. I had a very distorted view of what a good boss should be like. At the time, I thought that an effective and competent boss was a factory-style commander whose word was law. Of course, my way of working was influenced by my age and lack of life experience, but also by the spirit of the times. In the late 1990s, leadership and its nuances were not yet discussed in the same way as they are today. The culture of leadership has been transformed into a new belief system, which is only a good thing. This is true for the well-being of both employees and managers. Since then, I have held several management positions, and my performance has been better, but I admit that there is always room for improvement in what I do.
But what makes a person a good leader? The best boss I ever had once aptly said that a good leader hires subordinates who are better and more skilled than themselves. A good leader is aware that they don't know everything and that there are other sides to things. They recognize the strengths of their employees and know how to harness them in the right way and hone them to be even better. A competent leader focuses on the big picture and trusts in the expertise of their employees rather than micromanaging every little thing. I learned from the same manager that it is important to trust your employees to do their jobs. "I don't care when an employee does the work assigned to them, as long as it gets done on time and well," he once said. I would argue that when people are given responsibility and feel that they are trusted, they strive for the best possible outcome.
Can anyone become one? In a way, yes; in a way, no. Not everyone wants to take on responsibility, but I believe that we all have the potential to be leaders. It just requires internal motivation, which comes from good examples and a desire to make our community better. If your only goal is to become a boss, the end result will be a short and bumpy road, because the era of bosses is already over. I want to believe that you grow into a good leader with age, as you gain life experience and the ability to see the gray shades of life.
During my career, I have had many opportunities to work in a supervisory position. Looking back, I admit that I was certainly not a textbook example of a good supervisor.
- Pastor