You're at the top of your game. As "boss," you have control over so much of your business. Between the phone calls, orders, hiring, bills, and day-to-day grind, your employees may not see the best of you as much as you wish they could.
Being the boss is more than signing paychecks and snagging the highly-coveted corner office. It means being a shining example for your staff. Showing them the ropes and maturely mentoring. Encouraging innovation and teamwork. It will feel great knowing you've taken your role as boss to the highest level. Work will be more productive and employees will stick around for years to come. Here's how to be a super boss and have a staff brimming with admiration and pride.
Have Some Humor
Being in charge is serious business, but without some comic relief every now and then, stress and frustration will creep in and start to make things far from fun. It's important for even the most business-like boss to take it easy now and then to show the team that life is only full when all parts of the spectrum are taken in.
As per Inc., "Time and experience usually teaches us lessons in our own limitations and fallibility. That tends to infuse a sense of humor, humility, and empathy, at least in some well-balanced adults who just so happen to make great bosses."
Exhibiting a keen sense of humor shows that you are approachable and humble and you know that enjoying your time at work is part of a company's overall success. All work and no play makes for a pretty dull existence. Laughter and comradery are part of a tight-knit workforce. You'll burn out quickly without the light of a beaming smile.
Take Responsibility
A super boss has integrity and while he may dole out tasks to his team, he understands that he's the one ultimately responsible for the company's success. When things go well, it's easy to take credit, but a good boss takes the heat when things aren't up to par just the same.
Inc. notes, "There are no absolutes in business. You make commitments, put your butt on the line, then see how you did. Unless you complete that feedback loop and hold everyone's feet to the fire, nothing really counts."
Bosses who know how to manage appropriately and make smart choices understand that even with the best intentions and planning, things don't always go swimmingly. A responsible boss won't ignore the obvious and will lead the team in a fresh direction. There's no time for putting on a pair of rose colored glasses when things are already crystal clear.
As Salary explains, "Does the boss help employees recover from mistakes, or does he blow a gasket?" If the latter is evident, it's a sign that the boss isn't taking responsibility for himself or his staff.
Be Honest
To be a successful boss, honesty is the only policy. Sugarcoating and exaggerating only sets a company back. An honest boss gets what's working, what needs more gas, and what to let go of.
Bosses must be honest with themselves, their customers, and most importantly, their staff. As per Salary, "If the boss is telling you things about your future with the company that just aren't true, like there is room for growth when no one has been promoted from within for years, you're in trouble. You want someone who will tell it like it is, pull no punches and be realistic about what the future holds."
It's easy for employees to gather the honesty level of their boss – as Entrepreneur notes, "They wear their emotions on their sleeves. They show sincere excitement when things go well. They show sincere appreciation for hard work and extra effort. They show sincere disappointment -- not in others, but in themselves."
An honest boss will try to help his team better themselves, not brush sub-par work under the rug. That will only snowball into a bigger issue for the company at large. Kindness and honesty are not the same thing.
Take Charge
Just try to find a boss who's shy or a wallflower of any sort. If you can, he's a rare bird. Most super bosses are the take charge type, who thrive on running the show and making the needle move with vigor.
According to Entrepreneur, "Memorable bosses lead because their employees want them to lead. Their employees are motivated and inspired by the person, not the title." Just because someone's "boss" doesn't make him great. It's his attitude and sense of authority that makes him special.
A take charge boss doesn't sit idly by and wait for change to come. He's a get-the-job-done type who will take any reasonable avenue to make that happen. Inc. notes, "They're like machines that are programmed to do whatever it takes to get things done. And they'll find a way, no matter what. Those are the kind of people you want running things."
And just because a boss is a take charge person doesn't mean he does all the work. Being in charge means being confident, making smart decisions, allocating tasks, and problem solving. They must know all key elements of the business but be smart enough to hire the right people to make the business soar.
Be a super boss. Success starts at the top!
Every time payday rolls around, I’m on top of the world. Jeff Bezos-level rich - even though I’m anything but. And then somehow the very next day, rent is due.
The cycle continues. The next payday, bills for my apartment. I find myself without a surplus of savings since I just moved and newly-furnished my apartment completely.
Even more terrifying is the looming presence of the holiday season. Halloween’s officially over and before we know it, hello Thanksgiving…and then there’s Hanukkah, Christmas, New Year’s. It’s insane.
I’ve been feeling very British lately. Not in a Union-Jack-obsessed, “Keep Calm and Carry-On” way. I went through that phase in 2012 with everyone else… no thank you. And it’s not even a surge of patriotism catalyzed by the Queen dying — I’m firmly team Diana and team Meghan.
Now that fall is officially here, the holidays will sweep in and I’ll have to contend with the fact that I won’t be spending them with my family in the UK. I went home to London earlier this year, so there’s not much left in my travel budget for another trip across the pond. A few domestic jaunts might be in my future, but the closest I’ll get to England this winter is watching Love Island and Love, Actually.
So in that spirit, I’ve been filling my days with content from my favorite Brits. I’m listening to all the old British rock bands I grew up listening to, patiently awaiting the new Arctic Monkeys album, and rewatching anything with Michaela Coel in it. I even shipped myself an order of British Baked Beans, so you know it’s dire.
I’ve also been watching British YouTubers like Grace Beverley — my favorite. Generally, I only go on YouTube to watch Vogue Beauty Secrets and AD Open Door videos. But I’m so glad I stumbled on Grace. Her content is a mix of London lifestyle (what lured me in), relatable entrepreneurship, and mindful productivity. I’m not a hustle-and-grind-girlboss, but as a creative person in a 9-to-5, I need all the help I can get to stay plugged in. So, the video “how to be really really really productive without getting overwhelmed” changed my approach to WFH.
Grace outlines her own productivity method: the to-do table. Instead of making a simple to-do list, she divides her tasks into a table that anyone can follow. As someone who’s survived with to-do lists for years, I recently implemented Grace’s method, and it’s revolutionized my workdays.
how to be really really really productive without getting overwhelmedwww.youtube.com
I follow her routine to a tee. Here’s how it works:
Essentially, she divides her daily responsibilities into four categories: quick ticks, tasks, projects, and non-negotiables.
- Quick Ticks: Actions that take less than 5-minutes
- Tasks: To-do’s that take up to 30-minutes. Probably don’t take too much brain energy.
- Projects: Long-term list items. These help guide your priorities, even if you’re not crossing them off in one day.
- Non-negotiables: Pick 3 things each day that you must get done. This is how you’ll truly measure success.
With everything written down and sorted, next address your schedule. Meetings, deadlines, and time blocks — whatever works best for you. Write it down. Then make a pact with yourself to stick to them.
This way of categorization provides a roadmap for prioritizing your day — making you far more productive. Have you ever spent the entire day on small tasks and then suddenly realized you hadn’t moved the needle on any task? Or do you spend way too much time on tasks that aren’t a priority? No more. With your non-negotiables laid out, you know what to laser-focus on and what to dedicate energy towards.
Also, it pays to know your working style. I’m not a morning person. Yet, I have to be up and at ‘em super early. So, first thing in the morning, I march through my Quick Ticks to warm me up. I set a time limit, so I can knock out some easy wins which is totally inspiring. Then I move on to bigger things without lingering on emails or admin. For others, it might be more helpful to tackle the big things with all that early-in-the-day brain power earlier.
Grace has great tips on avoiding overwhelm and burnout. My favorite is taking more intentional breaks rather than scrolling through social media. I call this scrolling “productive” because I’m “coming up with pitches.” Oh, the lies we tell ourselves. It’s more productive in the long run to giving my brain a break with non-screen related stimuli.
Grace’s solution? Set a timer to read a real, an actual book. I’ve never thought of this. It’s a genius way to check off some books on my TBR and kickstart my creativity. After reading a good book, I’m completely inspired to write. So having books near my desk helps me step away from the computer during my lunch break for an actual reset. (And yes, the current books I’m reading are by British authors: Assembly by Natasha Brown, and Love in Color: Mythical Tales from Around the World, Retold by Bolu Babalolu.)
In my pursuit of switching out my WFH set-up and getting my life together, I’ve engineered my workstation for success. With my new WFH essentials and Grace’s productivity technique, I’m revitalized for work — despite the fall blues and my melancholy about the pending holidays.
Here are the things getting me hyped for work and helping me crush my Grace Beverley-inspired to-do tables — no lists in sight:
Southwest Airlines Sale 2022
Pack your bags — Southwest Airlines is having a major sale! Fares are as low as $59 one-way if you book by October 3rd.
This end-of-summer super sale is a game-changer for your travel plans through the end of the year. Summertime travel gets all the glory. But why not take advantage of your long weekends, holidays, and PTO this fall. You’ll be surprised at how much travel you can fit in. Keep the fall/winter season exciting with domestic trips that give you all the excitement without breaking the bank. All thanks to Southwest.
Here’s the breakdown:
Where can you go?
You’ll find discounted tickets to and from most airports. Sale fares apply to cross country travel, and even Hawaii, Mexico, and the Caribbean! Whether you’re visiting a new city or revisiting your last beach vacation, this sale has fares to make your travel dreams come true.
What do the fares cover?
Southwest Airlines has multiple fare tiers, each with various benefits. Wanna Get Away fares start at $59, while Wanna Get Away Plus fares start at $89. You can also find great deals on Anytime fares, which offer priority boarding and express lanes. Then there’s Business Select tickets for a luxe experience at an affordable price point.
Do you have to be a Southwest Rapid Rewards member?
You may think these sale fares are too good to be true. Is there a catch? Do you have to be a Southwest Rapid Rewards member to access them? You’re in luck — anyone can attain these fares for a limited time.
But, insider tip, you should consider signing up for Southwest Rapid Rewards. With a free sign up, you earn points and miles with each trip you take. And with this sale, each dollar you spend on these discounted tix can stretch super far until you eventually earn free travel. The only thing better than a sale is free stuff.
So pack your bags and brace yourself for those chaotic airport lines. Everyone’s hopping on this deal so get on it. Don’t miss out — grab your sale tickets by October 3rd!
I’ve been browsing the Southwest Airlines site, checking out flights and dreaming.