Axiom 82: Being the Boss is Harder than You Think

"If you want to build a ship, don't drum up the men to gather wood, divide the work, and give orders. Instead, teach them to yearn for the vast and endless sea." -Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

"Don't blame the boss. He has enough problems." 

-Donald Rumsfeld

Everyone thinks that being the boss is easy, but it is harder than you realize. It's not all big money, big perks, and easy street all the time. As you become more successful at some point you're going to have to cross the threshold and become a leader instead of a follower. 

Here are just a few of the things that most people don't realize is hard about being a manager:

1. Long Hours - The manager usually has to work longer hours than their employees. With larger responsibilities comes a larger workload. You have to learn as a manager how to delegate as much out as possible. It's the only way to get everything done.

2. Employee costs are high - You think your boss is a cheap ass and should pay you more, but a manager can only pay an employee what they are worth in productivity. There are a lot of costs associated with running a business, and the company you work for is probably not nearly as profitable as you think. 

3. Always thinking about work - A manager always takes work home with them physically and/or emotionally. The employee is at home enjoying their evening while the manager is at home thinking about work. 

4. Stress level is high - The pressure to perform and deliver is much higher than with the employees.

5. Your boss has a boss - Your boss has a boss that is likely even more unforgiving. It could be a bank, an investor, a landlord, the government, or all of the above. Everyone works for someone else.

6. Firing People - While it feels good to hire people, promote people, and give raises it feels 100x worse to fire someone - even if they have it coming.

7. They can't socialize with you - You're boss can't have lunch with you, can't be your true friend, and is never sure how truthful you're being with them. There is that invisible manager-employee line that should not be crossed.

8. Good managers hate rules - Rules are only in place because of bad employees. Managers don't like having to act like police officers, they have plenty other things to do. All managers would love a perfect environment where employees do what is expected and there is no conflict.

Axiom 81: Learn to Work for Others First

You must learn to work for someone else first before you can ever successfully work for yourself. If you can learn to give someone else your all at work then you will certainly be able to do the same for yourself someday in return.

Here are the 10 commandments of working for some one else: 

1. Always stay busy. Learn to make the most of your time at work. Your boss will notice if you are wasting the company's time.
2. Don't be late or miss work. This causes others to have to pick up the slack for you.
3. Always tell the truth even when you screw up. Covering up something with a lie will make it some much worse for you and your reputation in the long run.
4. Be a sponge and understand how the business works, follow orders, and observe intently. Make yourself indispensable. 
5. Work fast. Be more productive than everyone else. 
6. Offer to do more than expected. Even if you don't get more tasks by asking your boss will take notice.
7. Avoid gossip and conflict. Keep it professional. Always.
8. Complete every task assigned by your boss asap. Keep the ball moving.
9. Dress nice and maintain good hygiene. Dress for the job you want, not the job you have.
10. Make as few mistakes as possible. Learn from your mistakes. Never make the same mistake twice.

Axiom 80: Explore Boundaries

"Every dreamer knows that it is entirely possible to be homesick for a place you've never been to, perhaps more homesick than for familiar ground." -Judith Thurman

“In wisdom gathered over time I have found that every experience is a form of exploration.” 
-Ansel Adams

It is in our human nature to be explorers. From the moment we are born we start exploring our world. It is this exploration that helps us grow and learn. It is when we stop exploring that we stop growing. 

Maintaining a pristine static bubble in which we often live seems like a good thing. The stability brings us comfort. However, the world is not static. The world itself is exploring. It is growing, changing. You must learn and adapt with it. 

Those who explore and push their boundaries will stay successful in life. Those who do not will become stale and outdated. Don't be afraid to embrace the exploring nature you once had as a child.