Seth Godin on being your own boss:
If you had a manager that talked to you the way you talked to you, you’d quit. If you had a boss that wasted as much as your time as you do, they’d fire her. If an organization developed its employees as poorly as you are developing yourself, it would soon go under.
And:
We are surprised when someone self-directed arrives on the scene. Someone who figures out a way to work from home and then turns that into a two-year journey, laptop in hand, as they explore the world while doing their job.
There are few good books on being a good manager. Fewer still on managing yourself. It’s hard to think of a more essential thing to learn.
As Peter Drucker said, “we must each be our own Chief Executive Officer.” But in order to learn how, you must first learn how you learn. The key primer on doing so is Drucker’s “Managing Oneself” (PDF), which asks you to consider:
• What are my strengths?
• How do I perform?
• How do I work?
• What are my values?
• Where do I belong?
• What can I contribute?
The small differences in how you perform (e.g., do you know if you’re a reader or a listener?) are fundamental to being your own boss. You would do as much for people you manage. Manage yourself.
