Are You Boss Material? (Part I of II)
Take Our 10-Question Quiz to Find Out
A good boss makes his men realize they have more ability than they think they have so that they consistently do better work than they thought they could. - Charles Erwin Wilson
As you travel along your career path, at one point or another you’re going to determine whether or not you aspire to lead people and organizations to greatness. But it takes more than desire to become a leader, and you must first demonstrate your management abilities before you’re ever promoted to a management position. So what does it take to lead others? Take our 10-question quiz to determine whether or not you’re boss material. This week we’ll cover the first five questions.
1. Did you think “big picture”?
Leaders must invoke an alchemy of great vision. - Henry Kissinger.
You will never become boss if you lack the ability to see the big picture. Often employees get wrapped up in their own tasks and responsibilities and are unable to envision how those things are part of an organization’s broader mission and goals. Leaders can look beyond the tedium to see the final destination and can determine whether or not the organization as a whole is on track to get there.
2. Can you inspire others?
Leaders establish the vision for the future and set the strategy for getting there; they cause change. They motivate and inspire others to go in the right direction and they, along with everyone else, sacrifice to get there. - John Kotter
Before answering this question you should ask yourself whether or not you’re inspired to greater things, because it’s impossible to inspire others if you yourself are uninspired. Great managers incite passion and enthusiasm in their employees. The people they manage are driven to greatness because they have been moved to envision not only the organization’s potential but their own.
3. Can you manage a team?
You have to enable and empower people to make decisions independent of you. As I’ve learned, each person on a team is an extension of your leadership; if they feel empowered by you they will magnify your power to lead. - Tom Ridge
Have you had the opportunity to manage a team? If so, this was a good test-run for your leadership skills. Team management requires amazing people skills and the ability to know what team members are working on and how that work fits into the project as a whole. These leaders inspire people to work together and can move a team, and their project, to successful completion.
4. Are you a leader or a follower?
People ask the difference between a leader and a boss. The leader leads, the boss drives. - Theodore Roosevelt.
The word “boss” has developed a negative connotation over the years. Truth be told a good “boss” is a leader while a bad “boss” is just plain bossy. Regardless of your career path it’s important to know yourself. Are you a natural leader or follower? Both are valuable to an organization, but only one can aspire to leadership positions.
5. Are you comfortable giving directions?
The art of management is the art of directing others to get the job done right first time. - Anonymous
Bosses must direct employees. This requires that they 1) know what needs to be accomplished, 2) know who can accomplish it and 3) can articulate how that can accomplished. This is where the boss must dissect that bigger picture into employee responsibilities and tasks.
So how did you fair? Sometimes just knowing what it takes to be a leader can inspire you to begin exhibiting those traits. Come back next week when we’ll cover the last five questions:
6. Do you delegate well?
7. Are you interested in helping coworkers develop and grow?
8. Do you communicate well?
9. Are you charismatic and engaging?
10. Do you really want to be a boss?
