So, what is your “boss brand?”
When I sat down at the bar for dinner Friday night, the bartender, full of testosterone, flipped down a cocktail napkin and asked, “What can I get for you boss?”
Boss? I am nor your boss and glad that I am not. I would probably sack you. I can ignore a lot in life but that throw-away salutation by a bartender or anyone I don’t work with is unacceptable in my eyes. I hate it.
Why?
Being a boss is a big deal, a serious deal. It is not a term to be demeaned at a bar or 
restaurant. Being a boss, a good boss, is one of the most important accomplishments an executive can achieve.
To be a really good boss takes courage. That is one of the most essential core elements of being a boss — to admit that you can always be a better boss. It takes courage that the spotlight should NOT be on you but your managers and their supervisors and, of course, their employees. They are, after all, the people who really run the place.
The challenge of being a good boss is walking the fine line between having self-confidence and being arrogant — thinking you know what is best, which is to say you have all the answers. Nothing could be further from the truth.
Bosses are not about controlling, they are about inspiring. They lift spirits which, by the way, improves performance. They demonstrate admiration of, even love for, their team members. They earn the trust of their team members who are even more motivated to exceed performance expectations because they respect their boss.
Bad bosses kill morale and impair performance. They are focused only on their performance targets. They could care less about the niceties of human interaction, it is all about making the numbers. They cannot muster the trust in their people to hit the performance targets.
Bad bosses don’t have much self-awareness. Good bosses, are acutely aware. They foster a culture of the possible.
Much of your career brand is tied how well you inspire your people to achieve exceptional results.
So what do you want your “boss” style to say about your career brand?