How to be a Great Boss
by Miki Saxon
Being a great boss is hard work; it doesn’t always come naturally.
Being a boss means understanding the importance of culture.
- “I came to see, in my time at IBM, that culture isn’t just one aspect of the game—it is the game.” –Lou Gerstner, IBM turnaround CEO
Being a boss means clarity throughout 360 degrees of your communications, i.e., subordinates, peers and bosses.
Great bosses
- provide their people with all the information needed to understand how to perform their work as correctly, completely, simply, and efficiently as possible.
They do this by
- providing clear, concise, and complete communications at all times.
Being a boss means a strong focus on hiring.
Great bosses hire smart.
- “Don’t hire jerks, no matter how talented.”
Great bosses hire sans ego.
- “There’s two ways to manage. You can hire to be the smartest person in the room or you can hire to be the dumbest person in the room.” –Michael Lebowitz, founder and C.E.O. of design firm Big Spaceship (He says he works at being the dumbest.)
Being a boss means many other things, too, but master these three and you’ll be well on your way to being a great boss.
Image credit: Hiking Artist
