I need a team beneath me

I worked with a good guy for a long time. He constantly talked of needing to have a great support team so that he could do his job. He felt his boss was close-minded and cheap and would have nothing of it. I asked exactly what kind of team he needed.

As he described the team, it occurred to me that he wanted people who were actually better than he was at his job. People who would do the things he was paid to do, only better and at a lower salary. Having this dream team would afford him the opportunity to work the minimum number of hours, sit back and watch them perform, bring in results and ultimately, make him successful--without him having to break a sweat.

As you can guess, he didn't work out at this job. He went on to another job and then finally bought a business with dozens of employees. He talked to me years later and told me how hard he was working, how many hours he was putting in and how hands-on he was.

It's tough when you take ownership of your job or a company. You have to be hands-on enough to be in touch, but hands-off enough to allow others to grow and do what they do best.

Barry LaBov
LaBov & Beyond
labov.com