Do You Like Your Boss?

You should ask yourself this very important question.

If you answered yes, this blog is for you.

If you answered no, this blog is for you.

I have been in management for 15 years. There are those who have been managers for 40 years. Others have only managed a year. What I find is that the number of years someone has managed does not directly correlate to competence. There are managers who have been dictating for 30 years who should have been fired 30 years ago. There are managers who have managed for 5 years that are first class, natural leaders.

So why did I say I have been in management for 15 years?

It is just a fact and nothing else. However, for 15 years I have learned as a manager and a leader you should have three primary strengths:

1) You are an advocate for those who report to you.
2) You serve those who report to you.
3) You are a leader.

Those are the three main attributes of an effective manager or “boss.” If your boss is not your advocate, does not serve you and is not a leader, you probably do not like your boss. A good manager and leader must not be actively building an ego. They should be learning how to control and eventually master “ego.”

If you like your boss, then you probably respect your boss. If you do not like your boss then he or she has not earned your respect in most cases. I say most, because there are unmanageable and dysfunctional people out there in the workforce. There are always exceptions.

I have worked for many companies and own a company as well. In my 15 years, I have come to the conclusion that good managers are hard to find. There are many mangers that could be good, but never latch onto a great mentor. There are many managers who think they do not need mentoring. Truth be told there are more weak managers than strong. This is true from first line Managers to Directors on up to Vice Presidents and all the way to the top, CEOs and Board members.

Corporate America does a good job of promoting inept managers. There are many reasons for this. Corporate America does a poor job of promoting real leaders. In this blog I will share my view of corporate management in a very direct and defendable way.

So much has been written about management, yet we still have a major corporate management crisis. I hear the mantra over and over and over again. “If only management would understand and make good decisions.”

Almost all of us have a manager; someone who we report to directly. All executive management have managers to report to. The CEO must report to the Board of Directors. The Board of Directors and the company must report to investors (the owners of the company).

If you own any stock, either individually or through a mutual fund, you are the manager. The company you own shares of stock in is accountable to YOU. You decide to fire the company (remove them from your portfolio) or to keep them on your books.

Do you like your boss?

If you do not and you cannot respect your boss, you need to fervently find another job. If you do like your boss, learn from him or her and enjoy the wonderful professional relationship you have.

Eric Boehme, Blogging Boss