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Table of Contents

• Appearance
• Become A Doer (Execution)
• Behavior
• Confidence
• Friends
• Habits
• Health
• Vision
• Your Thinking

Being a Boss is no small feet.  For some it comes naturally, while for others it's something they have to work at.  Regardless of where you begin there will be challenges and storms that must be weathered.  The difference between being a Boss (leader) and an employee (follower) can be summed up in 9 ways; Your Thinking, Execution, Behavior, Confidence, Friends, Habits, Health, Vision and Thinking.

Let's breakdown each of the aforementioned items in order to paint a more vivid picture for the boss in you!  Here we go...

Become A Doer (Execution)

If you haven’t been told let me be the first to tell you. Being a boss requires work, there will always be challenges and others hellbent on stealing your shine. The road to hell is paved with good intentions, but the road to success isn’t paved at all. It’s rocky, always a bump to throw you off of your game. As a leader you must learn to DO regardless of the circumstances. You must learn how to love challenges in a way that sets you apart from your competition. No matter how tough things get, excuses will no longer serve as a plausible justifier of your failures. As the “BOSS” it’s all on you. 

Tips

• Rapid Execution:  Practice with small things to become a better “DOER”. When you’re at home lying around, and you know that you have a few menial yet necessary things to do around the house, get in the habit of acting on them the moment they come to mind. 

• Stay Present:  When working on a task be careful not to think about the “end” of the task, or what you look forward to doing later. Focus on that one thing with all of your ability. This will not only yield better results but also help you enjoy it, assuming it isn’t something you’re enjoying. It’s very important to get into the habit of staying present and focusing on one thing at a time. This habit will bleed into the quality of everything you do, in all areas of your life. 

• Tunnel Vision:  Similar to staying presence, it’s super important to hone in on your target like a hawk. This means not thinking about that special someone and what you have planned, or that chocolate ice cream waiting on your in the freezer.  You must respect your time and furthermore protect your vision by boxing out all distractions. 

Behavior

As the “BOSS” you best believe that you’re being watched like a hawk. When you put yourself in a leadership capacity, you are basically saying that you are the example. Furthermore, others are going to automatically assume this about you right off the bat. How you respond to others will especially be watched, not to mention how you respond under pressure. One of the main things people will be looking for is whether or not you practice what you preach. If you’re all about professionalism and self-restraint, you should know that practically every eye is constantly on the watch to check if you step outside of the lines (whether they realize it or not). 

Tips

• Perception: There are many quotes and scriptures that sum up the point I’m about to make. Just know that from a distance no one can tell who the fool is. In other words, be mindful of the company you keep, as this will leave your reputation, among other things, up for speculation and this is how rumors are started. Even if you have absolutely nothing to hide, it’s best to avoid possible rumors at all cost. 

• Consistency:  If you’ve been around long enough you’ve experienced at least one situation where there was a person you had great respect for, only to be let down when pressures brought out the “true” person. Let’s be honest, no one is perfect, but that doesn’t mean that you can’t practice moving as close to perfect as possible. When it comes to consistency you want to always remain mindful that your spectators never take a day off, not even a minute. Before going into a meeting or one on one conversation with an employee, give yourself a pep talk and reaffirm your commitment to be the solid professional that won you the position of boss in the first place. 

Confidence

A signature characteristic of a successful leader is confidence. Those who possess the kind of personality that leads to leadership understand that confidence, or the lack thereof, will make or break them. I would like to clarify that being confident does not mean having an out of control ego. Confidence is being secure that you are capable and able to execute your duties effectively. To achieve supreme confidence you must work hard to stay ahead of the pack in terms of knowledge and sheer willpower. 

Tips

• Knowledge is Confidence:  The more you know the more confident you will become. This means reading as much as you can and being mindful of what matters in your role. Avoid counterproductive chatter and tune into the type of feedback that will enable you to grow. 

• Avoid Bragging (& False Modesty):  While excessive bragging is definitely a sign of little confidence, so is constantly apologizing for your accomplishments. It’s one thing to speak on your accomplishments and another to use them to belittle others. A good rule of thumb is this; if what, or how, you say is done in a way that directly or indirectly infers to another person that you are better than they are, then you’re probably boasting whether you know it or not. On the flipside, if you shy away from acknowledging your accomplishments for the sake of not bragging, even though your accomplishments are somewhat known, you run the risk of belittling the other person who may take it as them not being good enough to receive it. 

Friends

Ever heard the phrase; “Birds of a feather flock together”? Well, whether or not you roll one way or another, people are going to always assume based upon the company you keep. I’m not suggesting that you go run off your best friend of 20 years. What I am saying is that be mindful of how a given relationship can impact how others perceive you. In today’s world it’s become popular to “not care” about things and what others think. The only problem is that as a boss you have to care what others think because those people are customers, business partners and potential decision makers of laws and rules that impact you and your business.   

Habits

Your habits are going to bleed into everything that you do, no matter how good or bad they are. Forming the right habits doesn’t mean that it has to be something you already do or are good at. If there is something you want to master or feel it will help you as a leader, just start. This could be anything from increased focused to a change in the type of music you listen to on your way to work. Maybe you heard that classical music is good for focus but you really aren’t into it. Well, simply try listening to it on your way to work each day. Find a nice channel that plays a variety of classical songs in order for you to get a wide feel of what options are available.

Ultimately, you can form whatever habits you feel will best suit you as a boss. In today’s world with the many books and videos available at your fingertips, there’s really no excuse to accomplish whatever you feel will help you to improve. 

Health

Being a boss isn’t just about being a leader for others, but also for yourself. A boss should always take care of themselves. This will help with your appearance, confidence and practically everything else. Not to mention the fact that you should hope to live a long and healthy life in order to appreciate your hard work for as long as you can. Show your constituency that you’re not only financially healthy, but physically as well. This will for sure win you a whole new level of respect as a boss. 

Vision

It’s one thing to have goals, and another to have a vision. A boss-minded individual tends to wrap all of their goals into one of which forms a vision. The very thought leads one to act differently in order to ensure their success. Apart from this it’s imperative to have the right attitude. A person with a vision and a positive outlook can certainly achieve more than those dominated by negative thoughts. With a positive outlook you will believe that more things are possible, and therefore act with confidence to see them through. This will inevitably create a more productive situation and yield more opportunities.

Your Thinking

I once was having a conversation with my boss while working for a large company, and she went on and on about her “earning potential”. Making reference to what she felt she was worth salary wise. Of course when I say worth I am referring to standards set by the company, not her. Her viewpoint made my skin crawl for a couple of reasons. One; I knew that she was capable of much more, but more importantly I strongly detested the notion of someone putting a dollar sign on my value. Regardless of what I’m “worth” at the end of the day it’s my decision. Two; this type of thinking is unfortunately the norm, regardless of education, age, gender, or any other factors.