What do all bosses have in common? Ambition, passion and a hard work ethic are the words that might come to mind first.
While ambition, passion, and hard work are undeniably important traits for building a business, there are a lot of other habits that make someone a boss in life and business. And they’re attainable for all of us. They don’t require multiple degrees or thousands in our bank account.
We can all be more boss, and possess the traits that make us unstoppable.
Here are eight things bosses do differently, that you can embody STARTING NOW.
1. They visualize.
Before a volleyball game, Kerri Walsh Jennings visualizes the excitement, the crowds, and the play-by-play before giving it all on the beach. She told Healthline, “I spend a little time each day to assess how I feel, to visualize how I’m moving with my partner. This allows me to be a badass — excuse my language — master of the art of being mindful.” Of course, in her visualizations, they always win.
We all moan about the, “Where do you see yourself in five years?” question we get asked in job interviews, right? As annoying as this question is, it’s essential to consider. It’s not about creating the perfect plan; it’s about knowing what direction we want to be heading.
Bosses have an idea where they want to go, what they want to feel like most importantly. It helps them figure out what actions to take next. They’re always thinking a couple of steps ahead. They might not know where they’ll end up in the long run, but use a combination of intuition and logic to direct them where they should go next.
2. They make managing their money a daily habit.
How much money do you need to save to start your business? What do you hope to make in five years? Bosses think about money because it’s what helps them grow their business. They need to invest, and money helps them to create an empire.
A lot of us have money mindset issues that we need to work through. We either think we don’t deserve it or believe that we couldn’t possibly achieve our money goals. These are limiting beliefs that hold us back from achieving our goals.
When you’re a boss, you decide to tackle money, and it isn’t a chore – it’s a ritual.
What do I wish I’d learned about money sooner? So much. Mostly, that money is power, independence, freedom, and living the lives that we want — lives that our mothers and grandmothers couldn’t have imagined.
– Sallie Krawcheck, Co-Founder & CEO of Ellevest
3. They create systems.
“Work smarter, not harder” is the motto of the boss babes. They’re all about creating systems that make life and business run smoothly. They’re optimizers and work to develop sustainable options that allow their business to operate at the highest level. They use these practices for their personal lives too.
Here’s a list of ways that bosses optimize.
4. They do the work.
While systems allow them to work smarter, rather than harder, they aren’t afraid to put in the work. Before bosses have their dream career, they’re doing the work. They don’t get to CEO overnight. What you see on Instagram is the runway show, and you’ve missed all the behind-the-scenes work they’ve been doing for years before.
What does this look like for you? This looks like blogging when your only follower is your mom, taking steps to create a business plan before talking about it, and doing all the things that you’ll hire out later.
You’ll have a million jobs in the beginning – and that’s how you become a real CEO who knows how to run a company. It’s in those first years of hustling, wearing dozens of hats, where you discover how capable you are in running a business.
One of my favorite lady boss inspirations, Danielle Bernstein, always says, “Hustle until your haters ask if you’re hiring.”
5. They experiment.
Bosses aren’t afraid to get a little messy, and business gets messy. They figure out who they are and what works and doesn’t work for them –– in life and business. And more importantly, they use that information to adjust.
Whether it’s looking at data or trusting their gut, they alter their path, again and again. They make decisions fast and consider all the angles. They take action and launch before they’re ready.
6. They ask for feedback and don’t pretend to have all the answers.
It is so hard to work on a project for a long time and then give it to someone else and ask, “how can I make this better?” People’s opinions, negative or positive, start to affect your self-worth – especially when you’ve created something yourself.
Bosses try to distance their attachment from their work, as best they can. They discover along the way that their business does not equal their worth. The reality is that you can’t run empires if you never ask for feedback. If you allow yourself to see constructive criticism as a gift for personal growth, you’re coming out on top.
When someone asks them a question, and they don’t know, they don’t make up a response. Bosses opt for curiosity and admit their ignorance on the topic. True leaders have enough confidence to know that they don’t know everything and can accept when they need help or need to do some further research.
7. They take care of themselves.
Acting like a boss starts with the mindset, and sometimes that means acting the part until you feel like you can tackle the world.
This means creating rituals and routines that make you feel more like a boss. It doesn’t mean you need to spend thousands to get your nails done and create a whole new wardrobe to look the part. But it does mean taking a few extra minutes to make yourself feel the part. It means prioritizing taking care of yourself –– and that often means starting with a quality morning routine and as cliche as it is, exercise.
8. They stay focused on the mission.
They eliminate distractions. They might delete social media apps from their phone if needed. They might keep their wardrobe minimal because decision fatigue is real. There are endless ways that we can get lost in our pursuit of success.
Bosses don’t let obstacles stand in their way – because they stay centered with their purpose. Why they do what they do is essential to the consistency and hard work that they put in every day.
How do you feel more like a boss in your everyday life?
