RULE 96
Aim for respect rather than being liked
God, don’t you just hate the manager who tries to be your chum, one of the lads/girls, your mate, your pal? We’ve all worked with them and they are a mess. They embarrass themselves as much as their team. Aim for aloof. Aim for respect rather than being liked. Look, you want your staff to give you all they’ve got, not hugs and drinks down the pub. You want them to think you’re a god, not David Brent.
You have to create mystique, an air of power, authority, friendliness, without the desperate need to be liked. You have to remain detached.
Some day you may have to sack some of these people, and you don’t need to make it tougher on yourself than you have to.
Some day you will have to promote some ...
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