{"id":6384,"date":"2014-04-23T14:00:00","date_gmt":"2014-04-23T18:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.wework.com\/creator\/?p=6384"},"modified":"2020-03-30T19:07:39","modified_gmt":"2020-03-30T23:07:39","slug":"boss-bossy-buddy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.wework.com\/ideas\/professional-development\/boss-bossy-buddy","title":{"rendered":"Boss, bossy, buddy: how to manage your team"},"content":{"rendered":"

Managing the work of other people \u2013 “bossitude” as I\u2019ll call it for the purposes of this piece \u2013 is not something we are ever really trained for. I\u2019ve managed the work of others for close to forty years as a corporate executive and as an entrepreneur, but no one ever really formally taught me how to hire, lead, and fire. In fact, I\u2019ve worked for some truly dreadful bosses over the years and picked up some horrific habits along the way.<\/p>\n

I remember the day my boss simply said to me, \u201cYou\u2019re really busy and you look like you need some help. So now, Jimmy* (who was my age at the time and not particularly happy about working for me) works for you.\u201d Since then, I have hired, trained, given feedback, and fired many people. Am I a fantastic leader and manager yet? Probably not\u2026but I\u2019m still learning.<\/p>\n

Being a manager has changed over the years. The \u201ccommand and control\u201d style of the \u201870s, \u201880s, and \u201890s has been replaced by a spirit of collaboration and teamwork. However, business owners and entrepreneurs still need to get work done and are often dependent on the cooperation, commitment, and passion of others to help them do quality work.<\/p>\n

No magic formula exists for leadership, but here are some basic guidelines:<\/p>\n