Being your own boss means working for yourself instead of an employer and having more control and flexibility over your work activities. To be your own employer, you need to own and run a business and make all the decisions for it.
Whether you wish to make a living from your passion or monetize your expertise, understanding the process of starting a business can help you reach your objective. In this article, we explain how to start a business and become your own boss.
Becoming a manager isn’t for everyone, and that’s OK. Managing isn’t easy, but it can be rewarding. You’ll take on new responsibilities, grow as an individual, and help others reach their potential.
But here’s the problem: how do you know if you want to be a manager if you haven’t managed? And, how do you get hired (even internally) to do something you’ve never done before?
Let’s go over how to know if you’re ready to become a manager and what you need to earn that managerial position.
You put the team’s best interest ahead of your own
As a manager, you’ll be responsible for a group of people. Effective leaders need to do the right and honest thing, even when it’s inconvenient for them. If you’re comfortable with this idea, it’s a good sign you’re ready.
You set a good example
Your energy is contagious, and a negative attitude will bring your team down. Instead, improve everyone’s spirit in the face of adversity by offering motivating words. Bring positivity to build morale among your staff.
Learn
How well you’re capable of leading other people begins with how well you lead yourself. You may be surprised by how far you’ll read in Becoming the Boss before I start talking about managing other people. This is because you will be a far better leader of others if you spend time building your own knowledge, mindset and attitude first. This means regularly assessing your knowledge and skillset, and taking action to build on your strengths and improve on your weak spots.
Boss Lead
While being a great employee is likely what got you promoted, being a manager is a totally different position that requires a different skillset and a different mind-set. There will be times as a new leader when you’ll have to do things you’re not yet good at (or have never done before), such as delegating responsibility, interviewing and hiring, or even demoting or firing.
So how do you become a great leader from day one?
You don’t.
You’ll have natural strengths and strong instincts to leverage (such as giving great motivational pep talks or showing compassion for people’s mistakes), but you simply can’t excel at every nuance of management when you’ve never had experience doing it. And that’s perfectly OK. Leadership means doing the very best you can every day, learning from your mistakes, and correcting bit by bit from there.
Spend time with employees
Don’t be invisible. Make sure you spend time with your employees. According to research conducted by leadership and training firm Leadership IQ, employees should spend approximately 6 hours a week with their boss if they want to be more inspired, motivated, engaged and innovative.
Treat Each Employee as a colleague
John Saaty, CEO of Decision Lens, says in Entrepreneur that you should “Treat every employee as a colleague, and turn the management structure upside-down.” He also adds that “If you are hiring well, then the management of the company is there to support the talent and aspirations of your employees, and not the reverse.”