In pop culture you see the term “Boss” being used as a way to promote one’s self as an assertive, authoritative figure worthy of your attention and fear. “Do it like a boss” or “I’m a boss”. Bruce Springsteen is affectionately known as “the Boss” but he never gave himself that title and in every interview I’ve seen with him, he does not seem to relish in moniker. Now the Miami rapper Rick Ross, who calls himself the Boss, is a different story. Kelsey Grammar stars in the HBO Series “Boss”, I’ve never seen the show but I hear it’s a lot of corruption, under dealings, shadiness and questionable ethical behavior.  The word “Boss” has taken on a whole new meaning and it’s not good.

You don’t want to be a Boss, a boss is a person who makes decisions, exercises authority and dominates. (dictionary definition no.3) Go ahead my snarky, sarcastic friends, “Damn right I’ma boss! What?” Well Boss, did you know that most bosses are similar to dictators because they out-grow their effectiveness and are terminated, fired, and kick off Survivor Island. Bosses have a limited shelf-life. Being a boss only sounds good on Facebook while clowning around with your friends. I dare you to go into a job interview bragging about being a boss!

The better play is being a leader. Leaders are better people as a whole anyway, think of Martin Luther King, Ghandi and JFK. Leaders guide, show direction and encourages people to be great. Leaders change the world. The job or challenge of being a leader has some elements of boss, in the fact that they make decisions and exercises authority but the difference is  they don’t dominate. Leaders don’t take credit for their teams accomplishments. They don’t brag about victories. Leaders don’t try to intimidate or control you with fear. You never see on Facebook someone posting a picture of themselves doing something with the caption “Leader.” There’s no movies titled “Horrible Leaders” cause leaders don’t suck.

“My Leader is a real d*ck head!” said No one.

“Man, the leader just pissed me off, I’m about walk out of this effing place” said Nobody ever.

You get the point; bosses die off and are forgotten. Leaders live forever.