My Guide to Being the Boss

In this series, professionals share how they embrace the entrepreneurial mindset. See the stories here, then write your own (use #BetheBoss in the post).

People look at successful entrepreneurs and think to themselves, “I want that life,” but rarely do people want to put in the work it takes to get there.

Simply put, being the boss is not easy. So many young entrepreneurs have great ideas, and even a great deal of ambition — but actually being the boss requires so much more. True bosses know their limitations as well as their strengths, and they never give up when things get tough (and they inevitably will). In all of my years of business, though, I’ve never seen anyone who refused to quit, fail.

I encourage every young entrepreneur out there to consider whether they are willing to do what is necessary to build a business. And, if after a lot of self-reflection, you truly believe that the entrepreneurial life is for you, I offer the following pieces of advice:

Trust Your Instincts

A great idea will only get you to first base; your instincts get you to home plate. There will be a lot of voices around you offering advice on the right path to choose, but at the end of the day, you have to trust your gut—it’s always right.

Imitation Is the Best Form of Success

If you respect someone’s success, do not feel ashamed to imitate their successful behavior. Study the stories of your entrepreneurial heroes, and incorporate those behaviors into your own practices.

Be Honest with Yourself

If you can’t be honest with yourself, how can you expect anyone else to? More important than knowing your strengths is having an understanding of your weaknesses. The most successful people in business know what they don’t know.

Dare to Be Analog in a Digital World

I use e-mail just as much as the next guy, but I have never lost sight of the importance of other forms of communication. There are some points that just can’t be made in an e-mail. Never underestimate the effectiveness of a phone call or an in-person meeting to convey an idea or emotion.

Build a Culture

It is important that your employees feel a sense of devotion to the business and the culture within your organization. To build that synergy, you will need to define what success looks like for you and the business you’re building. You should have a clear set of goals, and specific benchmarks along the way to reaching those goals.

To that end, you have to be intentional about building a team that embodies your company’s mission and values inside and outside of the workplace.

One way to accomplish this is to utilize the skill set of your employees—not just the academic background you see on the surface level, but the passions and interests they have outside of work. Infusing your staff’s interests into your company culture is a win-win strategy; they feel valued and seen, and the work product is improved as a result.

Be a Teacher — and a Student

A company’s success is directly related to the output of its workforce. As the captain of the ship, you have to be willing to guide your employees, and teach them how you want things done. Those who teach must also be willing to learn. Though you have a responsibility to impart lessons to your staff, you must remain open to what they have to teach you.

Trust in the Process

Success does not happen overnight; building a business is incredibly difficult and meticulous work. You’ve got to learn to love the pain of the process and trust that you’ll get returns on your investment.

Stay Current

I can’t say enough how important it is to have a fluid approach to business — what works today doesn’t necessarily work tomorrow. Never be complacent, because there’s always someone ready to take your spot. Stay hungry. Stay current.

Of course, the advice I offered above is not fail proof. Even after being in business for the past 17 years, I still wake up every morning and ask myself, “How can I build the business today?” The work of being the boss is never done, but if you have the passion and the persistence necessary, you can win.