Leader versus Boss

I would like to give you a quote on leadership and then give you my spin on the quote. I will do this over the next few blogs and the next few days.

"People ask the difference between a leader and a boss.... The leader works in the open, and the boss in covert. The leader leads and the boss drives." (Theodore Roosevelt)

I like this quote because it really defines very quickly the difference between being a leader and a boss.  

Essentially a leader leads people. They show others the way to go and they blaze the path for innovation and vision. A leader wants others to see them work because they want the followers to follow and be guided by the vision of the leader.

On the other hand a boss drives or another word for that would be boss. A boss bosses people around. They tell their people what to do. They really don’t have vision they just know what needs to get done and they tell others what to do. The boss sits in their office dictating to others what needs to be done but they don’t blaze the way or show them how to do it correctly.

Which one of these are you? Are you a leader or a boss?

What do you think of Theodore Roosevelt’s quote? Is he correct in what he says or is he off base?