There is a difference between being a boss and being a leader. Being a boss can bring back the now-archaic image of the fat-cat businessman, pocket watch et al, sitting behind a boardroom desk and making big decisions that negatively affect the little guy while laughing his way to the bank. Powerful. In power. But the kind of power that is taken and hoarded, not a power that is shared.
Leaders, on the other hand, are inspirational, providing direction. They believe more in showing their employees how things are done, rather than telling them to do things. More and more, businesses are recognising the need to have leaders, not bosses – and no where is this more important than in the Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment space; a space that seeks to transform South Africa into an inclusive economy that will lead to a better life for all.
When it comes to Leadership As A Service, Lanham-Love Consulting, a 73.57% Black Owned Level 2 BEE Exempt Micro Enterprise, seeks to practice what they preach. CEO Angie Lanham-Love has appreciated the concept since very early on in her career. “I have been in the industry of Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment since pretty much it’s inception,” says Lanham-Love. “And a very large part of transformation requires leaders that are transformative. Leaders that seek to empower, rather than to take power.”
“A boss is in charge,” says Lanham-Love. “This often means that, in their determination to have power, they can be immensely short-sighted, and inclined to fixate on immediate results. These are the kinds of businesspeople who are more focused on control, more focused on commanding their employees to achieve and deliver, than on the long-term benefits of a team that can pull together and combine their efforts to contribute to a greater goal.”
“Leaders, in my experience, are more focused on empowerment than power,” says Lanham-Love. “They are more inclined to foresightedness, longer term outcomes, and see the value of a workforce that is motivated to innovate and create, to make decisions, to drive their own projects. One of the primary achievements of an effective leader is to create more leaders: they create an environment that encourages others to focus on empowerment, to develop those around them and to see that none of us is as strong as all of us.”
“If we are to achieve the goals of The South African Project, if we are to innovatively embrace and integrate transformation to the point of business growth and development, we need to be focused on empowerment, not power,” says Lanham-Love. “We need to lead, not boss.”
If you, too, see the benefits of an empowered workforce, of the South African Project, and of being part of an inclusive economy, speak to Lanham-Love Consulting today. We are perfectly positioned to ensure comprehensive B-BBEE compliance, help you to develop an empowered workforce, and to ensure that your investment in B-BBEE has exceptional returns.