The Buck Stops Here

Are you a good boss? Wait, you're not a boss? Oh, and here I thought all my readers were successful Fortune 500 CEOs!

Question two: would you be a good boss? As a peon, I do not have a definitive answer to this, however my inner-worker screams: YES. In my mind's eye, I would take every bad decision, every slight, every unproductive employer-employee conversation to heart and do exactly the opposite. 

I know, I know. It is much harder to be a good boss than not: otherwise, everyone would be one, right? Like most things, it is impossible to know exactly why managers act the way they do until you walk the maze of cubicals in their shoes. That said, I do think that imagining oneself in a managerial position is a productive exercise. How else will you ever get a feel for being your own boss, assuming that is a professional goal? It is certainly a requisite in my own search for Sanity with a Paycheck. 

Here is some great advice that I received from my old friend Duncan Niederauer, CEO of the New York Stock Exchange. (Ok, actually I read these leadership tips in a magazine, which you can find online here.) 

- A good boss often focuses more on communication than strategy

- Diversity, diversity, diversity. Surround yourself with people who think differently, act differently and solve problems differently.

- Exude confidence. 

- Be relevant. Avoid tasks, meetings, busy work and people who do not contribute to your productivity and success.

- Use power strategically. Throwing weight around just because it's possible is not a wise investment. Use it instead to further your goals and push your priorities.  

- Spend time thinking about consequences and perspective. Words matter. Actions matter. Spend time recognizing your impact.

Good advice. We'll see if it leads to bringing home $10M a year by the time I'm 50. You can read more about Mr. Niderlander here.

Dalí's Desk Doodle Pad

Talk about a serious Pros- and Cons- list!

Illustration by Molly Crabapple

More from the artist Molly Crabapple here.

Joie du Travail for Life

Do you know about Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee? It's a project from Jerry Seinfeld with a very simple premise: drive to get coffee, pick up a friend along the way, drink coffee with said friend. 

It's hilarious. And insightful. 

Jerry Seinfeld could be sitting around enjoying life in retirement, but you can tell that he actually enjoys working. He loves hearing what his friends and colleagues are up to, brainstorming new projects and reworking old ones. You can tell that he never stops thinking about his work. Granted, his work is telling jokes... but still. He takes it very seriously. (Do you know about the Pop-Tart joke that took him TWO YEARS to finesse?)

Here is an episode from the Comedians in Cars series, featuring a shared coffee between Jerry Seinfeld and Larry David.  The one with Alec Baldwin is also a must-see!