(A Spoken Word Piece by — you know who you are)
People defines the difference between a leader and a boss.
They glorify the leader.
They crucify the boss.
They say, “A leader inspires. A boss commands.”
“A leader guides. A boss dictates.”
People don’t want to be told what to do.
They don’t want to be corrected.
They want comfort— not correction.
Approval— not accountability.
They call structure “control.”
They call discipline “abuse.”
But really, they’ve just grown soft.
Onion-skinned.
Sensitive overdose.
Weaklings in the era of Wi-Fi warriors.
People say they want a leader—someone who understands.
But what they really mean is: someone who will tolerate.
Someone who won’t make them uncomfortable.
This is the stereotype most needed:
The leader is gentle.
He sets the example.
He shows how not to be him.
He wants to be admired, not replaced.
Because who leads from second place?
How can you still lead when someone walks past you?
But the boss—
The boss doesn’t care about applause.
The boss doesn’t crave your comfort.
The boss serves.
He shouts, yes—
but not because he hates you.
He shouts because he knows you’re capable of more.
He’s rough, but he’s real.
He pushes from behind, so you can stand ahead.
The boss finds joy
in seeing his people rise higher than him.
He knows that’s his job—
to build others strong enough to walk without him.
Are you a leader?
Are you a Boss?
I am a Boss. That was what I was told I am.
That’s why there are people in front of me now—
stronger, sharper, braver—
the ones I once pushed,
now pulling me forward.
They lead me, too.
And I smile, because that’s how it should be.
The King is a boss.
The General is a leader.
The general fights the battle.
The king thinks about the war.
The general leads from the mud.
The king builds from the mind.
So no, I am not a leader.
I am the boss—
sometimes harsh,
often misunderstood,
but always serving.
And when those I’ve raised now stand taller,
when they move ahead and carry the weight I once carried—
I’ll sit back, sip an aspresso, and whisper—
“Good. They were meant to.”
Because the true boss
he just needs to know
that the people behind him
finally learned how to lead.
In the end,
a Boss doesn’t seek followers—
he builds conquerors.
He doesn’t lead for praise—
he leads for legacy
Originally published on Benjie's Bench - Measuring Life's lessons in Millimeters
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