Being Boss

I am discovering that its much more difficult heading a team than being just a reportee to your boss. When you are just a member of a team you are on your own and responsible only for the job profile that is allocated to you.

Heading a team and managing a number of people, solving their problems, supporting them when they goof up, encouraging them, firing them for the mistakes done, praising them for the good work done,managing various temperaments, allocating jobs according to their individual skills is very very difficult. It is a big big responsibility being in charge of a team and getting work done from them.You cannot neither be very friendly towards them nor can you be unapproachable. You have to have immense patience to explain a certain thing to them in 10 different ways to make them understand it. You have to learn to control your irritation when they ask your opinion on trivial matters when you are in the midst of something important and help them. You have to learn to handle them with kid gloves.

When we begin our careers, at some point, we all want to head a team and shoulder bigger responsibilities. I was always in awe of my earlier bosses who headed the department/big teams/the company. And except for one organisation, all my bosses were very skilled,intelligent,friendly,impartial,approachable and fantastic people. Now that I'm in their shoes, it amazes me how they managed it without being hassled at any point of time. Yes, they did let me know when I made mistakes but I never once feel that they meant it personally. When I made any progress professionally or personally, they were genuinely pleased for me. There was so much to learn from them not only professionally but also in they way they treated their subordinates. Ive learnt that being humble and acknowledging your subordinates goes a long way making you a good human being and therefore a good boss too.

I hope that I can be the same impartial, warm,supportive and humble boss to whom my subordinates can look up to.