How to “think like a Boss, act like a Boss, talk like a Boss And BECOME the Boss”
Let’s face it, at some point in our lives, we all want the independence and stability that comes with being “in charge”, or more easily put, being “the Boss.” The truth is that such dreams or desires are actually achievable if you align yourself with the right tools and information, which is what I will be sharing with you in this piece.
Becoming a Boss should not be seen as a mountainous pursuit, but rather, regarded as something that can be achieved by anyone who truly knows what they want for themselves. Before delving more into the topic, I wanted to emphasize that your current societal status, job description, educational or skill set should not be considered a limitation.
Becoming a Boss is a process that becomes reality over a period of time, and being a rube, naïve or rustic about the subject matter, should not be a hindrance as well. Your level of experience or inexperience right now shouldn’t really count. What counts is what you are willing and able to do next, to get you to that “Boss Lady” or “Boss Man” status. Now, let’s dive right into it.
Even though we often hear that “leaders are born and not made”; I beg to humbly disagree with that statement. In my opinion, leaders are actually made, and that is why not everyone can become a leader or a Boss. Becoming a Boss goes along with living your life in a particular way.
It involves changing your mindset and perceptions about a whole lot of things. It involves changing your communication styles, and the way in which you carry yourself, and are perceived by others. If you are serious about being “in charge”, then you may need to begin by changing the way you first see and relate to yourself, including changing the way you think, act and talk. Once you are able to do these things, you should be on your way to becoming that Boss, you have always dreamed about.
Thinking like a Boss
Leaders or Bosses think in a certain way. While ordinary people see limitations in every situation, leaders look beyond that and often see possibilities. If you want to truly become a Boss, then you need to change the way you think about situations, and begin to see things differently. An interesting quote from James Allen, author of “As a Man Thinketh,” states that, “as he thinks, so he is; as he continues to think, so he remains.”
In order for you to change the way you think, you should be ready to feed your mind with the right thoughts and dwell on the right things. You need to begin to imagine how successful Bosses like Bill Gates, Oprah Winfrey, Jack Ma or Mark Zuckerberg would react if they were to be in the same situation as yours. And that brings me to another quote: “A man’s mind may be likened to a garden, which may be intelligently cultivated or allowed to run wild; but whether cultivated or neglected, it must, and will, bring forth. If no useful seeds are put into it, then an abundance of useless weed seeds will fall therein and will continue to produce their kind”- James Allen.
Whatever your current role or capacity, begin to imagine that you were the Boss, and start to come up with ideas and solutions on how you would address the different challenges you face every day. Once you begin to do that, you are successfully laying down the foundation or groundwork that is required to gradually take you to the position that you desire.
Acting like a Boss
Ever heard of this quote from Zig Ziglar, “It is your attitude, more than your aptitude that will determine your altitude?” More often than not, we assume that becoming leaders or “the Bosses”, should be about intelligence, education or some specialized skills. While some of that may be correct in some sense, it may not be entirely so. Becoming a Boss has a whole lot to do with the way you act. It has to do with the way you behave and treat others.
Bosses have certain traits or characteristics which you should try to start cultivating if you do not already have them. Bosses are empathic, passionate about their jobs and others, organized, supportive, get things done, knowledgeable of processes and procedures, honest, fair, mentors, open-minded, courageous, resilient, focused, trustworthy, have an increased need to serve others rather than to be served, respect others and have excellent communication skills.
While this list is not exhaustive, it does have some basic traits or characteristics, that if imbibed early, sets you up for becoming successful in your Boss mission. If you are as interested as I am in becoming “the Boss”, then it is time to start acting like one, by nurturing these skills, i.e. If you are lacking in them. A great way to also cultivate these skills is to closely follow role-models, who embody some of these characteristics, and also read and watch videos about these important figures, because it would make a whole lot of difference, in helping you along your journey.
Talking Like a Boss
In his book “You Are What You Say: The Proven Program that Uses the Power of Language to Combat Stress, Anger, and Depression”, Author Matthew Budd, explains that your words play a major role in determining, and not just reflecting your health and well-being. He explains how the body learns many of its reactions, consciously and unconsciously, through language, i.e. the spoken word.
Becoming a Boss involves talking in a particular way. You must change your language and its style to reflect the budding Boss, you are hoping to become. One core characteristic of effective leaders is excellent communication skills. You must be able to learn to communicate effectively, in order to always convey your messages in the right way and manner, to the intended recipients.
Developing this skill may involve watching closely the communication styles of influential leaders (including their body language), and visualizing yourself in those roles while working steadily to get to that place where you become an effective communicator. One more thing to add is that the more you continue taking steps to deliberately see yourself function in the capacity of a Boss or leader, the more your brain gets realigned to motivate you into doing those things that will get you to where you desire.
Becoming The Boss
This is the high point of all the months or years of hard work. This is the anticipated final destination, of all the mental and behavioral activities, you have engaged in, in other to get to the level where you become “in charge.” Becoming “the Boss” is a process that may take months or even years to accomplish. But the length of time it takes to get to that point doesn’t really matter, as long as you stay committed and focused on the end goal. If you truly want to become “the Boss”, then in addition to what we have discussed above, you may want to:
1. Stay on course and never lose track of what the final destination is, irrespective of the difficulties you may encounter along the way.
2. Participate in continuous improvement exercises. You cannot expect to get a different result if you continue to do things in the same way you have always done. Get the required education, training, certifications, etc. that you need to get you to your destination. I just wanted to add that there are so many free resources online. Take advantage of them.
3. Take little steps, no matter how little. You cannot afford to remain in the same position just wishing you would become “the Boss.” Other than doing the thinking, acting and talking aspect, get involved with things or activities that would showcase the skills you are trying to develop. Volunteer for a cause you are passionate about, sign up to train kids in sports (i.e. of course if you are good at it), go the extra mile in solving problems, even if they are not part of your job description. That way, you are able to build on the skills befitting of a Boss, and also self-evaluate yourself as you go along the way.
4. Consistency is key. You cannot be haphazard in your approach. You must have a goal, as well as a plan to achieve it. Make sure a day, week or month never goes by, without doing something that advances you to your destination.
5. Be more attuned to your environment for opportunities that may show up. Because opportunities abound everywhere, you just need to be willing to see and appreciate them.
6. Give yourself some time and don’t stress it. Becoming “the Boss” is a process that may take some time. So, as long as you are doing the things listed above, don’t stress it; rest it, and be sure to take it, one step at a time.
7. Be Positive and Confident in your abilities, ALWAYS! Never give up on your abilities. If you can think it, you can do it. Becoming “the Boss” was never meant for the “exclusive few”, or a “special breed” of people. Anyone, including you reading this piece can be “the Boss”, as long as you set your heart to it, and never give up in your pursuit.
In wrapping this up, are you inspired to become the “Boss Lady” or “Boss Man”? If yes, then you are not desirous of something strange or unachievable. You can definitely become “the Boss” you have always dreamed about. But in order to get there, why don’t you start by beginning to think, act and talk like “the Boss?” You will be amazed at what you would become and achieve, by taking these simple steps! Never give up, success is achievable!
To your continued Success. Cheers!!!
Evi Abada
