Are you happy with your job and your boss? Is your paid job the only source of your income? Have you thought about commercializing something that you enjoy doing? This post is intended to convince you that you also can become a manager.
Let’s start from the beginning.
First of all, I would suggest asking ourselves:
“What can I do best?” “What is my talent?” “What am I going to do in my life?”
It’s something similar to defining your mission.
In the literature, managers, leaders and followers are traditionally defined. But I would propose a different classification:
- employees,
- entrepreneurs,
- rationalists.
According to my classification, employees are people who feel comfortable working for a company, having either a managerial or non-managerial position. They feel safe and secure because they have a contract, stable income and confidence in tomorrow. They like stability and safety. They feel relatively free because they have a fine line between their work and private life, which starts after 6 p.m. Some employees think they have less stressful life in this way, they don’t like to take on some risks and responsibilities, but actually, they have many others. For example, teachers, doctors, accountants and public sector employees can refer to this group. Those who are more ambitious and like a fast-paced life, tend to climb the career ladder and to attain managerial positions.
However, many people cannot stand chiefs and bosses, command and control. They have strong business acumen. They prefer to be free and independent. They are typical entrepreneurs. Usually, they set up their own small or medium enterprises, and sometimes they even manage to build empires! Even if they don’t, they are still happy with the freedom they have. They take decisions and don’t have to report to supervisors. They rule their own business and life.
Of course between these 2 basic psychological types the 3rd one can be distinguished, so-called rationalists, – people who are quite cautious and prefer to have a permanent employment, but at the same time they either run their own small business or have other sources of income whereby they not only diversify risks and fulfill their basic needs, but also achieve self-fulfillment.
Now try to define which group suits you better and where you are actually.
Everyone wants to be happy, and happiness is achieved when a need or desire is fulfilled. But unfortunately, happiness doesn’t last forever. Each time we need new achievements to feel happy again! Something that I would say is consistent with Maslow’s Pyramid of Needs.
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The hierarchy of needs is a well-known tool among top managers and HR professionals, which helps them develop policies and remuneration plans to retain and motivate employees.
Attention! The pyramid of needs is true only for Western societies! Nations different from Western ones have different value systems, therefore Maslow’s concept doesn’t hold!
In my next posts we can have a deeper look at cultural differences from a managerial perspective.
As human beings, we all have biological requirements for our survival, such as food, water, clothes, shelter and rest. When a deficit need has been 'more or less' satisfied it will go away, and our activities become habitually directed towards meeting the next set of needs that we still have to satisfy. So, we move on toward safety and belongingness needs.
Actually, once you have a job, you can be sure, that your first 3 levels of needs will be satisfied, because you will have a constant monthly income to pay for your physiological needs, you will pay taxes and will be protected by the law and insurance policies, and eventually, you will be surrounded by colleagues and friends, who will fulfill the need for social belongingness.
But sooner or later you will need more! More respect, more recognition, higher status, higher self-esteem. And eventually, you will face the self-actualization need – the desire to be everything that you possibly can.
And at that moment I believe that consciously or subconsciously you will ask yourself:
“Am I happy?”
If not, then it means you have failed to satisfy some of your needs, and probably so called self-fulfillment or growth needs. What to do in this case?
Attention! You are the owner of your life and only you can decide how to live it.
Of course, no one is absolutely free, because we live in a society; we belong to numerous social groups, where non-written rules and norms determine the righteous behaviour. Since our childhood, most of us have been taught that we need to work for a good company, better in the public sector, in order to have a safe and secure life. Besides, we have to provide financial support for our kids and elderly parents, maybe even minor siblings or disabled family members.
It’s obvious that because of fear of failure we become extremely risk-averse. The common fear of tomorrow will never allow us to follow our dreams. The best solution seems to have a permanent contract.
Yes, that’s true. But remember, if you are not lazy, then you can become a so-called rationalist.
All you need is to be able to see business opportunities and to commercialize the product of the activity you enjoy! First of all, overcome your laziness and dedicate an hour of your time to something that can bring you relaxation, satisfaction, knowledge, managerial expertise and income! Start your own business! Very tiny in the beginning. Without risks and huge investments! And grow it incrementally!
For example, my uncle drives a taxi, but apart from his main job he is always busy with growing flowers, mushrooms… In summer he keeps bees, from time to time he keeps hens, pigs, etc. Each time when he fails or faces decreasing demand for his products, he switches to another type of activity.
Attention! Never depend on one source of income!
Entrepreneurship has become so easy nowadays! Each of us has a smartphone – the most powerful managerial tool of the 21st century. Owing to your smartphone connected to the internet you can access unlimited markets and organize your marketing campaign for free!
Through this post I wanted to deliver my Top Management Tip – everyone can be a manager! Because everyone has a gift for something. Once you find it out and dedicate a small fraction of your time to commercialize it, it will greatly increase your self-esteem and will improve your self-confidence. Besides, if your education doesn’t relate to management or marketing, you will learn a lot by trial and error, searching for information on Google, reading my blog posts and watching my videos on YouTube!
Learn how to become a business person and your own life manager!
Good luck and see you soon!
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