August --
I find your viewpoint much more appealing than one in which there is a
black hat and a white hat. At times one may need to be an authoritative
figure, and at other times a visionary and leader. The leader knows when
to play each role, but both are equally valuable.
I agree with your view that the more mature manager tends to play the
leader more than the less mature manager who will play the boss role more
often.
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Rather than just use boss and leader we should see positions in gradations. In
our work with 1200+ leaders and data on their roles, we find that roles
determine how leaders really respond to different situations. For example, we
found five distinct gradations --each with unique skills and styles...
[...snip by your host...]
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