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The boss and the general manager are not just different in title; they operate on two completely different levels. There are significant differences in their thinking patterns, management styles, and profit models, which lead to different development speeds and results. So, what exactly are the differences between a boss and a general manager?

What they sell:

The boss sells products. When facing external partners and internal employees, they repeatedly emphasize their sales ability—what products they can sell and in what quantities.

The general manager sells hope. They sell the hope of tomorrow, the hope of the future, and great hope to upstream manufacturers, downstream customers, internal employees, and external partners, allowing everyone to live in hope and feel the wonderful sensation that hope brings. They guide people not to limit their vision to the present, but also to view current difficulties from a higher perspective.

Facing pressure:

The boss bears almost all the pressure alone, carrying everything on their own shoulders and racking their brains for solutions when problems arise.

The general manager tries to transfer or break down pressure. After all, there is no superhuman general manager, no general manager who can solve every problem, and no all-around general manager. But the general manager transfers these pressures to others or breaks them down, taking on only the parts they can handle, so as not to exhaust themselves.

Facing resources:

The boss is always calculating what resources they have, often limited, and is unable to face their own limited resources.

The general manager is always thinking about how to integrate others' resources. Since personal resources are limited, to grow the business, many resources are needed, and these resources are often in the hands of others. Therefore, it is essential to find ways to integrate them. Others' resources are unlimited; by integrating their unlimited resources to solve one's own limited problems, or by concentrating limited resources to solve a single point problem, it naturally becomes much easier.

Facing employees:

The boss is always waiting for employees to take the initiative. Only after employees make contributions and achieve results will they give rewards or incentives. Before employees make sufficient contributions to the company, the boss will not give them any extra treatment. At the same time, the boss tends to focus on employees' shortcomings, worrying that these shortcomings might bring losses to the company, and requires employees to improve their weaknesses.

The general manager is always trying to motivate employees. Praise can make a pig climb a tree, let alone a human. They do not wait for employees to achieve results before rewarding or encouraging them. Instead, they give in advance, before employees have made achievements, because the general manager knows that employees are passive and need clear outcomes, or even to receive the results first, before they invest their energy in work. So, the boss does not expect employees to take the initiative first; instead, the boss takes the initiative first, arranging tangible results for employees, and then guides and motivates their efforts. Furthermore, the general manager focuses on employees' strengths, trying to leverage their strengths in work assignments and encouraging them to strengthen these strengths.

Facing difficulties:

The boss alone racks their brains for solutions. If they cannot think of one, they say the business is too difficult. They are unwilling to tell employees about problems, let alone outsiders. Even if some problems must be solved by external experts, they have no awareness of paying for it.

The general manager brings together multiple minds to consider solutions. When effective solutions cannot be found within the company, the general manager extends their vision to the social level, bringing in relevant professionals from outside the company. The general manager understands that knowledge is valuable and that purchasing knowledge and technology costs money.

Facing products:

The boss always believes that products are good or bad, and that good products will definitely sell well and bring substantial profits. Therefore, they are always looking for such good products—in other words, a perfect product.

The general manager knows that matching is the key to profitability. Therefore, in product selection, they adhere to the principle of matching: the right product, the right project, and the right market. Only when all factors match can profits be ensured.

Division of labor:

The boss, in their bones, always wants employees to be in a near-perfect state, requiring them to be all-around talents who can both do the work and think about problems. Of course, such employees are almost impossible to find. So, bosses are always in a state of shortage.

The general manager knows each employee's strengths and characteristics. Based on the employees' situations, they divide them into strategic employees and execution employees—that is, those who do the work and those who think—each performing their own duties and leveraging their strengths.

Facing problems:

The boss generally lacks a preventive mindset, thinking that since nothing has happened, there is no problem. Moreover, prevention costs money, and the boss considers it a waste. Of course, after a problem occurs, they spend several times more to solve it.

The general manager views problems from a preventive perspective. Because the general manager knows that once some problems occur, they cannot be effectively solved; they can only be prevented. Therefore, the general manager tries to prevent problems that can be prevented, making preparations in advance, so that even if problems arise, they can be handled in an orderly manner.

Facing costs:

The boss focuses on saving, thinking that saving a penny is a penny. They believe that not hiring people saves costs, not advertising saves costs, not raising employee wages and benefits saves costs, and not developing new technology saves costs. All these things save the company money, but they often severely restrict the company's development.

The general manager focuses on reasonable budgeting, as reasonable costs are the guarantee of returns. The general manager makes reasonable budgets for every project and content of the enterprise. They believe that without reasonable costs, it is impossible to ensure the normal operation of all content, nor to guarantee the company's profitability and the achievement of goals.

Borrowing or saving money:

The boss often saves money on their own, thinking that having no external or internal debt is best. When investing in new projects or industries, they often look at the money in their own pockets, so-called "do according to your ability." If there is not enough money, they do not do it, but at the same time, they lose many opportunities.

The general manager definitely borrows money to do business, even if they do not lack money, they still borrow. Borrowing money has many benefits: accumulating credit, maintaining borrowing relationships, and adding pressure to themselves (because it is borrowed money, they must do well). Of course, another benefit of actively borrowing from others is to prevent others from borrowing from you.

Of course, the differences between a general manager and a boss are not limited to the above aspects; there are more. In general, the general manager's life is easier than the boss's, and they make money without being so tired. More importantly, the general manager's sustained profitability generally exceeds that of the boss, which is the core point.

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