老闆和領袖的差異──DIFFERENCES BETWEEN A BOSS AND A LEADER
For English version, please refer to the latter part of this page
在我的工作職涯中，有許多人有時會被我稱為「老闆」。他們是我的上司，是僱用我的人，是那位如果我的工作不盡人意，他們有權解僱我的人。值得慶幸的是，在大多數情況下，我的「老闆」也是很好的領袖。但在商業和專業領域中，並非總是如此。
兩者有甚麼差別呢？身為演說家，作家和顧問的提姆．凱特(Tim Kight)在描述「老闆」與真正領袖的觀點有何不同時，總結了這一點。他說，老闆的心態是：「我領導的人是為我工作的。他們有責任照我說的去做。」然而，凱特表示，真正的領袖的思維是：「我為我所領導的人工作。我有責任為他們提供所需的支持，使他們能成就大事。」
這讓我想起了吉姆．柯林斯(Jim Collins)的經典商業書籍《從A到A+：企業從優秀到卓越的奧祕(Good to Great)》。這本書的中心內容，是他和他的研究團隊對績效最好的公司所做的研究。他們發現，在大多數情況下，頂尖企業並不是由知名、有魅力的人所帶領，而是由謙卑的人所領導的。他們對卓越和成功充滿熱情，但用極大的謙卑做出平衡。
柯林斯從研究中觀察到，「從A到A+ (優秀到卓越)的領袖，從來不想成為超群不凡的英雄。他們從來不渴望登上舞台或是成為遙不可及的偶像。他們都是看似平凡的人，卻默默創造非凡的結果。」
閱讀聖經，我們會發現類似的人物。在舊約中有約瑟、摩西、大衛和尼希米等人，而在新約中有使徒保羅和彼得，尤其是耶穌基督，都是領袖的典範。從凱特的觀點，這些領袖，把提供被領導的人所需要的支持，視為自己的責任，以幫助他們取得更大的成就。以下只是眾多例子中的一小部份：
建構一個共同的願景。其中一個最佳領導的方式是，提出一個能夠激發所有參與者的工作願景。尼希米在檢視古時耶路撒冷的殘垣後便做到了這一點：「以後，我對他們說：「我們所遭的難，耶路撒冷怎樣荒涼，城門被火焚燒，你們都看見了。來吧，我們重建耶路撒冷的城牆，免得再受凌辱！」我告訴他們我神施恩的手怎樣幫助我，並王對我所說的話。他們就說：「我們起來建造吧！」於是他們奮勇做這善工。」 (尼希米記2章17-18節)這項工程在極短的時間內完成。
願意服事他人。如果有任何人有權堅持讓眾人都要順服他，那個人應該就是道成肉身的耶穌基督了。然而，祂忠於自己的使命，為人類的罪獻上贖罪祭，並為所有願意跟隨祂的人帶來新的生命。「因為人子來，並不是要受人的服事，乃是要服事人，並且要捨命作多人的贖價。」(馬可福音10章45節)
裝備你所管理的人使他們成長茁壯。與其專注於讓人如何推動自己的目標，最優秀的領袖會努力尋找方法，鼓勵並挑戰所領導的成員，使他們能夠充分發揮上帝賜予的恩賜，技能和天賦。「凡事不可結黨，不可貪圖虛浮的榮耀；只要存心謙卑，各人看別人比自己強。各人不要單顧自己的事，也要顧別人的事。」(腓利比書2章3-4節)
© 2024. Robert J. Tamasy 是企業巔峰: 給今日職場從箴言而來永恆的智慧 一書的作者。也與導師之心的作者David A. Stoddard 合著Tufting Legacies。編輯多本著作包括Mike Landry. Bob的書：透過苦難成長。Mike Landry. Bob的網站為www.bobtamasy-readywriterink.com.
挑戰思考
你可能處於組織中最上層的領導職務，或者你只是在一個管理範圍有限的職位，在任何情況下，花點時間評估自己領導的強項和弱點。你甚至可以找到一兩個可信任的朋友，請他們就你的領導能力，給予真誠的回饋。然後考慮開始採取一些步驟，成為更有果效、能將他人的需求和利益放在首位的領袖。
備註：如果你有聖經，想閱讀更多相關的內容，請參考以下的經文（因篇幅有限，請自行參閱未列出的經文：以弗所書6:5-9）
利未記19章18節
19:18 不可報仇，也不可埋怨你本國的子民，卻要愛人如己。我是耶和華。
箴言28章2節、16節
28:2 邦國因有罪過，君王就多更換；因有聰明知識的人，國必長存。
28:16 無知的君多行暴虐；以貪財為可恨的，必年長日久。
馬太福音7章9-12節
7:9 你們中間誰有兒子求餅，反給他石頭呢？
7:10 求魚，反給他蛇呢？
7:11 你們雖然不好，尚且知道拿好東西給兒女，何況你們在天上的父，豈不更把好東西給求他的人嗎？
7:12 所以，無論何事，你們願意人怎樣待你們，你們也要怎樣待人，因為這就是律法和先知的道理。
哥林多前書10章31-33節
10:31 所以，你們或吃或喝，無論做什麼，都要為榮耀神而行。
10:32 不拘是猶太人，是希利尼人，是神的教會，你們都不要使他跌倒；
10:33 就好像我凡事都叫眾人喜歡，不求自己的益處，只求眾人的益處，叫他們得救。
反省與問題討論
- 你認為成為一位「老闆」(或者你更喜歡的其他用語) 是否必然等同於，成為一位優秀、有效的領袖呢？請解釋你的答案。
- 思考一下，你心目中誰是真正的領袖？他／她有哪些特質顯得與眾不同，能夠激勵他人願意跟隨他／她呢？
- 你認為為什麼有些人，無論是企業主或專業人士，還是政客，即使看起來並不具備真正的領導特質和內涵，卻會受到如此多的關注呢？
- 想到耶穌基督的一生，即使已經過去了兩千年，至今祂的影響力仍然非常地強大。有哪些因素使祂成為一位如此有影響力的領袖呢？
DIFFERENCES BETWEEN A BOSS AND A LEADER
By Robert J. Tamasy
Over my working career I have had numerous people I would sometimes refer to as “boss.” They were the people I reported to, who had hired me, and – if I did not do my job satisfactorily – had the authority to fire me. Thankfully, in most cases my “bosses” also were good leaders. But in the business and professional world, that is not always the case.
What’s the difference? Speaker, author, and consultant Tim Kight summed it up when he described how the perspective of a “boss” differs from that of a true leader. He said the mindset of a boss is, “The people I lead work for me. It is their responsibility to do what I tell them to do.” However, Kight stated, the mindset of a genuine leader is, “I work for the people I lead. It is my responsibility to provide them with the support they need so they can achieve great things.”
This reminds me of the classic business book, Good to Great, by Jim Collins.The book centered on studies he and his research team did of the highest-performing companies. What they discovered was that in most cases, the top corporations were not headed by well-known, charismatic personalities, but by humble individuals whose passions for excellence and success were balanced by great humility.
Looking over the research, Collins observed, “The good-to-great leaders never wanted to become larger-than-life heroes. They never aspired to be put on a pedestal or become unreachable icons. They were seemingly ordinary people quietly producing extraordinary results.”
Reading through the Bible we find similar individuals. Joseph, Moses, David, Nehemiah, and others in the Old Testament, and in the New Testament the apostles Paul and Peter, and most notably Jesus Christ, all were leaders who, using Kight’s terms, saw it as their responsibility to provide the people they were leading with the support they needed to achieve great things. Here are just a few of many examples:
Casting a unifying vision. One of the best ways to lead is to present a vision for work that can inspire everyone involved. Nehemiah did this after inspecting the ruins of ancient Jerusalem. “Then I said [to everyone who would be involved in the work], ‘You see the trouble we are in: Jerusalem lies in ruins, and its gates have been burned with fire. Come, let us rebuild the wall of Jerusalem, and we will no longer be in disgrace.’ I also told them about the gracious hand of my God upon me…. So, they began this good work” (Nehemiah 2:17-18). It was completed over a remarkably short span of time.
Being willing to be of service to others. If anyone had a right to insist that everyone defer to Him, it was Jesus Christ, God incarnate. Yet He remained true to His mission, to become the atoning sacrifice for the sins of mankind and offer everyone who would follow Him a new life. “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many” (Mark 10:45).
Equipping those under your care to thrive. Rather than concentrating on what people can do to advance their own goals, the best leaders strive to find ways for encouraging and challenging those reporting to them to flourish in using their God-given gifts, skills, and talents. “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others” (Philippians 2:3-4).
© 2024. Robert J. Tamasy has written Marketplace Ambassadors: CBMC’s Continuing Legacy of Evangelism and Discipleship; Business at Its Best: Timeless Wisdom from Proverbs for Today’s Workplace; Pursuing Life With a Shepherd’s Heart, coauthored with Ken Johnson; andThe Heart of Mentoring, coauthored with David A. Stoddard. Bob’s biweekly blog is: www.bobtamasy.blogspot.com.
Reflection/Discussion Questions
- Do you think that being a “boss” (or whatever term you prefer) is necessarily the same as being a good, effective leader? Why or why not?
- Think of someone you consider to be a true leader. What are his or her qualities that seem to stand out, that inspire others to want to follow them?
- Why do you think some individuals, whether business and professional executives or politicians, receive so much attention even when they do not seem to possess genuine leadership traits and qualities?
- Considering the life of Jesus Christ, whose influence is still being felt very strongly today, 2,000 years later, what are some of the things that made Him such an effective leader?
NOTE: If you have a Bible and would like to read more, consider the following passages:
Leviticus 19:18; Proverbs 28:2,16; Matthew 7:9-12; 1 Corinthians 10:31-33; Ephesians 6:5-9
Challenge
You may be in a position of top leadership in your organization, or you might have a role with only limited opportunities for leading others. In either case, take some time to assess your own leadership strengths and weaknesses.
You might even seek out a trusted friend or two to give you honest feedback about your leadership capabilities. Then consider steps you might begin taking to become an even more effective leader who puts the needs and interests of others first.
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