Good Leader vs Great Leader

Is a good leader a great leader? Yes! But is a great leader a good leader? Maybe not (I know this is really confusing, but all will be revealed soon. Read on...). You might ask, “What is the difference between a good leader and a great leader?” The answer to that question, to put it simply, the difference is humility. Let me give an example.

The boss of a company is a great leader. One day he decides he should thank people in the company. So what are the criteria? He opens up an employee record book and scans through the pages. Finally he reaches a decision. “I should praise those people who have been doing their job consistently!” he says to himself. He goes round the workplace thanking surprised workers but leaving others in the lurch. This isn’t very good. What would a good leader be doing? Read the next example to find out…

The boss of a company is a good leader. One day, he decides to thank people in his company. He takes out an employee record book and thinks of the criteria. “Those workers who have been doing their job consistently should get my thanks!” he says. Then what of the other workers who have not been doing a very good job? He thinks hard before reaching a solution. For those who have been working for the company for a long time, he thanks them for the time they have put into the company. For those who have no other reason for thanking, he thanks them for working for him and encourages them to work harder.

Of course the great leader might act like a good leader but that isn’t always the case. That is the difference between the two kinds of leaders. One was more humble than the other. This can make a big difference. If you are offered a job with more pay but a crappy boss, would you take it? I know I wouldn’t.
The companies with good bosses are more likely to ride out a recession if all their workers are offered jobs in other companies with bad leaders. The workers of a company with a good leader feel more appreciated by their boss and thus would want to stay on. Who knows; the new company might fire them if their work is not ‘up to standard’.

References (really long ones):
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