Being bossy vs being the boss

This content was originally featured in the December 14, 2022 newsletter found here: https://www.trustinsights.ai/blog/2022/12/inbox-insights-december-14-2022-words-of-wisdom-12-days-of-data/

For the second to last newsletter of 2022, I want to leave you with these words of wisdom:

“See a lot of times when we wanna be a boss, we too bossy. A real boss has employees around him that’s better than him because he wants them to take his job one day. That’s the real meaning of a boss, is “I want you to be better than me. I don’t want to be better than you, I don’t want to be the boss of you. I want you to one day be the boss so you can hire me so I can take a day off”. ” – Snoop Dogg

This resonates with me for a few reasons.

There is a difference between being bossy and being the boss. When I was younger, I thought being bossy meant being the boss. I pushed people around, micromanaged, and was a total task master. I figured it meant that I was the boss and deserved respect. I could not have been more wrong. I was getting the exact opposite reaction. I wasn’t taken seriously and I wasn’t inspiring people to want to get things done when I asked.

After I got my ass handed to me time and time again (I was a little thick and took time to learn my lesson) I started to adjust my approach. I tried something radical, trust. This is the difference between being bossy and being a boss. Trust.

I’ve spoken about trust before. You can read that here:
https://www.trustinsights.ai/blog/2022/10/inbox-insights-october-26-2022-building-trust-amazon-reviews-data/

If you trust your team to do what’s asked of them, they will do it. Take it a step further. If you support your team, move roadblocks, and advocate for them, they’ll succeed. Not just your team, but your friends and family too. You’ll be amazed at how much more can get done.

This quote also speaks to your knowing own self confidence and worth. Surrounding yourself with people that you thing are better than you can be empowering. As a boss, your job isn’t to be the best. your job to to activate and motivate. To set the course and let others drive. You cannot be the best at everything, but you can find people that are. You can bring those people into your team to help you achieve your goals.

ICYMI – last week I wrote about how goals are a community activity. You can read that here: https://www.trustinsights.ai/blog/2022/12/inbox-insights-december-7-2022-goal-setting-with-community-12-days-of-data/

As you think about your own goals for next year, and the goals of your team members and community – think about this quote and ask yourself:

How will you empower others to do more?
How will you give up the spotlight to let others shine?
How will you be the boss and not be bossy?

What quote inspires you and keeps you grounded? Come tell me about it in our Free Slack Group, Analytics for Marketers [trustinsights.ai/analyticsformarketers]