Do you currently consider your Management (team or individual) a boss or a leader? At the beginning of my Management career, I was oblivious to the differences between either role. I considered them both to mean the same. It was with time that I better understood both roles and I was able to make a decision as to what kind of Manager I wanted to be. Do you know which one you are? If so, are you happy with your answer?

My very first mentor was an Army Veteran, surprisingly we had both applied for the same promotion. He had more experience in the industry and I had more experience running a  business. When I was offered the job I was certain he (and 50% of my then staff) would quit. I imagined losing the job to someone younger and less experienced in the industry wasn’t easy. Here laid my first lesson in being a leader, he didn’t quit and neither did anyone else.

At the time my mentor was a manager of the instructional team and I was his new Director of Operations, putting me above everyone at that location. The day came when the announcement was made about my new role, soon thereafter my mentor requested to talk. In fear and uncertainty of what could happen, I agreed, but all I could think about was “How am I going to fix whatever’s about to happen?” The time came, we sat in my new office at my new ‘BIG” desk and I pretended to not be nervous as he pretended not to notice.

First words out of his mouth were “Congratulations”. As we swiftly got the pleasantries out of the way he began to tell me what his plans were for me. He stated “I know you don’t have any experience in this industry and I know that a big part of your role is going to consist in industry knowledge but if you’d allow me to, I would like to teach you all I know. We are a team and if you fail I fail and I won’t allow that to happen.” He began telling me how much he cares about the staff, appreciates this company and how much he wanted us to succeed.

When he was done talking about his plans I told him my initial concern, that he and the instructional staff was going to quit. To which he replied “We chose to join this team because we like the company and what it stands for. It's up to you if we choose to stay, people don’t quit jobs they quit bosses.” That was the first time I had ever heard that saying, and without even realizing it after that day he became my mentor.

My first lesson learned was this; Bosses tell you what to do, they aren’t invested in you as an individual, they expect everyone to do the heavy lifting without them ever lifting a finger, they consider themselves better or more important than their staff when someone fails the finger is immediately pointed at the person that failed, people don’t and follow bosses or give them 100%. Whereas to a leader does not tell you what to do but shows you what to do and how to do it, they invest in you as an individual by helping develop you, they don’t expect from you anything more than what they expect from themselves, they consider themselves your equal, they know that everyone plays an essential role in success if someone fails they blame themselves, they are constantly looking for solutions and ways to support their team, people follow leaders because they know their leader will always have their back, they choose every day to give their leader 100%.

I made the conscious decision to be a leader. I wanted my team to be on board with all the change that may come. I wanted them to believe I had their best interest in mind when I made the tough decisions. I wanted us to grow in unison so I found everyone's good qualities and developed those not so good ones. I knew my team was good but I wanted us to be great.

Here are some pointers to help get you on the right track:

1. Hire based on your weaknesses not your strengths

2. Don’t be shy about asking for help

3. Retention starts from a harmonious work environment and that starts with you

4. When setting deadlines or goals (for yourself or others) ask yourself if it's realistic, things to consider:

   • Average amount of time it takes the person your tasking to get work done

   • Hours worked in a day

   • What do they currently have on their schedule

   • How much research needs to go into this

   • Ask the person you are tasking what a reasonable deadline for them would be

     - Have them discuss with you a, b,c and d

5. Before asking someone to do something (Example: pick up the trash around the office) ask yourself if this is something you would do.

6. Lead by example, don’t ask people to follow policies and procedures you don’t already follow.

7. Get to know everyone’s strengths

8. Help develop everyone’s weaknesses

9. Make time for one on one talks

10. Make yourself available to help

Remember you don’t fire people they fire themselves (nobody fires good employee’s).