One of the legacies of ancient administrative thought and, although truly obsolete, it is still generally accepted and practically engraved in the genes of every human being; it is the fervent belief not only of wanting to be "boss" but of distinguishing the difference between who really is and who simply seems or wants to be.
The idea of leadership is wrongly associated with the action of leading, even in some academic and organizational settings it is placed as a link that precedes managerial activity and is held to be achieved once effective supervision has been learned.
In this traditional scheme of administrative thinking, being a boss has particular characteristics that define it unequivocally, if they are not present, the loss of the image as boss is immediate and with it the respect and commitment associated with the position. There are so many references that can be found in books, magazines, articles and websites that it would be redundant to name them here. However it would be worth noting that attitude and professionalism are presumed to be closely associated for a boss to really be.
For others, being a boss is synonymous with advantages and benefits: Parking stalls, bonuses, higher wages, offices with more space and many other gadgets also inherited to produce a psychological effect that makes those who hold that level of responsibility understand that they have stopped Being part of the bunch and therefore deserves a new status in the company, and, for those who are not, it is a silent message that establishes the border between a basic position and another of a higher level.
Simply absurd and anachronistic.
In the first place, such administrative expressions, those that seek to motivate their employees to fight to achieve the benefits of a leadership position through such differentiations, what they really manage to generate, in most cases, are feelings of frustration, disinterest and indifference or, in the worst case, such resentment that encourages those who dare to do whatever is possible, good or not, to obtain such advantages regardless of the cost.
People want to be bosses because this translates into higher income, decision-making power and social recognition. For example, being a Finance Analyst is not the same as being the Head of Finance, although in practice the salary difference is not so evident.
People want to be bosses because companies are still pyramid-shaped (whatever they say) and they know that only in this way are they closer to power and what it means.
But it turns out that this thought, which is also obsolete, is exactly what has caused companies to find themselves stagnant in a constant circle of motivation and demotivation, satisfaction and dissatisfaction that reduces efforts to create a balance in a true expense and not in a investment.
The trend is clear: You do not need to be or appear to be a boss, manager or director… there is simply no such thing required. What really matters is the value you put on the company from your level of knowledge that you have for the benefit of both yourself and yourself.
Only people without dreams and without expectations require someone to lead them, otherwise, they know that only through synergy can they achieve what they have proposed by adding value to their lives and to the collective.
The managers of the companies of the 21st century should not worry about generating in their collaborators the difference that exists between being a true boss or appearing as one, in fact they should not even reinforce the idea of headship and only use it as an example of an ancient practice that it served in the days when people were only a resource for the company and not the company itself as it is understood now.
So don't worry, you don't have to be or appear to be boss, that's not important; What you should focus on is the development of competencies, both your own and that of your collaborators, that will allow you to connect with people who have similar expectations to yours and, in doing so, seek to exercise circumstantial leadership, where success collective and personal will be an inevitable consequence.
