How do you get to be the boss?
I can hardly wait to answer this question because … I’ve never been called the boss!
At least not in the corporate sense.
Even though I worked in the military and corporate world for many years, I was never called the boss – ever!
I always seemed to be the new guy working his way up. I’d change jobs and start at the bottom again. As such, I never had anybody reporting to me. I never wrote efficiency reports on other people, I never called the troops together for a meeting, I never had anyone call me “boss.”
I’m OK with that; very OK.
Over the years, I’ve had many so-called bosses. I have lots of experience dealing with people higher on the corporate ladder who I called “boss.”
Now, I’m discovering something a bit radical. All these people that I thought were bosses – really weren’t!
How can that be?
Well, it turns out, since I’ve left the job/corporate/government world, I’ve discovered the true definition of the word “boss.”
And, all my former “bosses” don’t fit this definition.
So, all those years I spent trying to become the boss, were wasted. You see, if I had somehow managed to become “the boss” I would have discovered that I wasn’t really the boss anyway. Yes, I’d have the title, people would call me “boss”, I’d look like a boss, act like one, but all the while, I wouldn’t really be one.
I’d be an impostor.
Recently, I came to the conclusion that my old definition of boss is all wrong. I thought it was that guy at work who determined my raises and wrote my efficiency reports. Now I know better. He wasn’t my boss. He wasn’t anyone’s boss.
I’ve come to the conclusion that a boss is a very unique person with a very specific role. Actually, the role is limited to one task. If a person doesn’t do this one task then he or she is not a boss; not a real boss.
The real boss is easy to identify. He or she may not be the most prominent person in the room. He or she may not be the best dressed person in the room. He or she may not even be the most knowledgeable person in the room; may not have the highest education; may not drive the best car. But, “the real boss” is easy to identify. Easy to determine.
You see the boss is the person who performs one critical task. If a person performs this task, then he or she is the boss. If not, then he or she is not really the boss.
This critical task requires no special skills. It requires no special training. It requires no extraordinary talent.
But, in order to be the boss you must do it. If you don’t do it, you’re not the boss.
Let me illustrate by sharing a personal experience … * (see note below)
Back in 2009 or so, I remember visiting a construction site. A foreman was barking out commands to the workers. Several men in fancy suits and carrying carrying clipboards, suitcases and pens were standing nearby. They even wore fancy sunglasses for effect. A car drove up and out popped a man who walked up to the fancy dressed men and asked, “Where’s the boss?”
To my surprise, one of the fancy dressed men turned to face the work crew and yelled, “Hey, Mr Benson, there’s a guy here to see you!” He was calling out to one of the workers. I couldn’t believe it. I watched intently to see how this played out.
Still carrying his shovel and looking scruffy with his day old beard and dirty overalls, Mr Benson greeted the visitor, “G’day Jim! How ya goin?”
“Great, Mr Benson. I just came by to get payment to start phase 2 of the project. Is this a good time or you want me to come back when you got your cheque book?”
“I got it right here. How much?” Mr Benson shot back.
Mr Benson flipped his cheque book open and started writing. Then he tore out the signed cheque and handed it over to Jim.
I was amazed.
The other workers looked on in awe. Wow! Did you see him write that check without batting an eye? Got to be a lot of money to get phase II started. He wrote the cheque like he was paying a $20 electricity bill or something.
“He does it all the time.” replied one of the workers.
“He even hands out bonuses on the spot.” said another.
The guys in the fancy suits stood in silence; listening; watching. They seemed memorized by the scene unfolding in front of them. Seemed like they were dreaming about one day writing a big cheque for phase 2 of some mammoth worthwhile construction project! But, they weren’t writing the cheque – Mr Benson was … and guess what that makes Mr Benson?
That’s right – you guessed it!
Mr Benson is the boss!
The real boss.
You see, I’ve finally come to realize, the person who pays the bills is the boss – the real boss.
The foreman, the grunts and the men in suits – they’re not the boss. They may have the title; some people may call them “boss.” But they’re not the real boss.
Why?
Because they don’t pay the bills. They are all standing in line to get paid by Mr Benson. Mr Benson is the bill payer and therefore, the boss.
So, how do you become the boss?
Easy.
Pay the bills.
NOTE: I took some literary license here … this is a fictional story based on a real life experience. The names have been changed and I made up some of the details to add some kick to the story. But, it was this experience that got me questioning my definition of “the boss.”