BSP 162: Boss or Leader by Dave Ferguson

Dave Ferguson, author of Boss or Leader: Are You Leading for a
Living or Living to Lead?, feels corporate America has always been
full of ‘bosses,’ partly because society has elevated them as
something we should all achieve as professionals. While there’s
nothing wrong with being a boss, and there are plenty of good
bosses, there’s a distinct difference between being a boss and
being a leader. According to Ferguson, the main difference is that
bosses value productivity, accomplishments, and tasks; whereas
leaders value people. The latter believe that if the people feel
valued, the results will come. The main focus of a boss is the
productivity, or the bottom line, Ferguson says that, “When you
work for someone like that, every day’s a Monday.” He argues that
while most people go to work for a paycheck, being mentored by a
leader opens things up – the vision gets bigger, we see ourselves
doing bigger things, we’re not being micromanaged, and there’s
freedom to ‘mess up.’ Ferguson says the book is for everyone – from
seasoned leaders to teens, and anyone looking to make a transition
between the two roles. He adds, “If you value people, leadership
should be your thing.” The book is an easy-to-read resource guide
meant to make us ask difficult questions once we’re done reading
it. Ferguson indicates that, “A leader’s main job is to develop
more leaders, not producing results.” He also adds that people
can become bossy when they have a lot of responsibility, don’t know
how to handle it, and don’t allow themselves to be humbled by it.
Ferguson cautions that while bosses value winning more, sometimes
the people pay the price and that can lead to high turnover
rates. He adds, “Not everyone wants to be driven, they want to be
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