34 Leading with NLP
The difference between authority and leadership is the dif-
ference between a boss and a leader:A boss has conscripts, a leader has recruits.
A boss has power, a leader has influence.
A boss depends on a position of authority, a leader gains
authority by being themselves.
A boss can evoke fear and demands respect, a leader com-
mands respect.
A boss says, ‘I will,’ a leader says, We will.’
A boss shows who is wrong, a leader shows what is wrong.
A boss knows how it’s done, a leader knows how to do it.
A boss gets people to do things, a leader gets people to want
to do things.
A boss drives their colleagues, a leader inspires them.
A boss is obeyed, a leader is followed.
And, before you have an argument with a boss, take a good
look at both sides – his side and the outside!Knowledge
Knowledge is the second pillar of leadership. You can be a
leader by virtue of what you know. When my car breaks
down, I take it in to the garage for repair. When my com-
puter breaks down, I do what I can to fix it, but usually I call
the support line. If I want to know about the latest fashion or
music, I ask my teenage daughter. Mechanics, doctors, engi-
neers, lawyers and teachers can all be leaders by what they
know. And knowledge alone is insufficient.
Think of your best teachers or coaches, those who really
made a difference for you and what you could do. Who
comes to mind? A teacher from school? A college teacher, or
a sports coach, or business coach? What sort of qualities did
they have?
I remember when I was at college, there was a lecturer
who would enter the musty lecture hall with its wooden
benches polished by the trousers of a generation of students
and deliver his lecturer for an hour in a monotone, looking
down at his notes all the time. Then he would pack away his