If You’re Going to Be Your Own Boss, Be a Good One
10 ways to be your best boss
“You’re an awful boss,” she told me.
Given that she said this after I’d sobbed over my inability to do any more work after hours of hard work, she wasn’t wrong. As a freelance writer, I’m an awful boss to myself. I expect too much completion and too much perfection.
The funny thing is, one of several reasons why I pursued freelance writing was because I like the idea of working for myself. I’m efficient and hardworking; I’m driven and passionate. I don’t need someone else pushing me to get things done. While I’ve had several good bosses, authoritative figures sometimes make me uncomfortable.
But as a perfectionist, type three, and workaholic, I don’t make for the best boss for myself. I’m much harsher on myself than I am on other people.
I realized that if I’m going to be my own boss, I need to be a good one.
For over a decade, Google completed research under a fake name on what characteristics make a “good boss.” According to their study, a good boss does 10 things:
- Coaches well: Uses problems as teaching moments and guides teams so they can grow.
- Empowers instead of micromanages: Gives people the freedom to try out new things and…
