Who might be the Worst and Hardest boss in the world? The opening line of M. Scott Peck’s book, “The Road Less Travelled” states, “Life Is Difficult”. Running your own business makes it more so. My Uncle Dave is a real person not just some imaginary sage invented to make my utterances more credible. Dave left school at 14 and went into the steel industry. In 1979 just as Margaret Thatcher’s government were starting the assault on manufacturing engineering he opened his own business. In manufacturing engineering and was a success, a huge success, eventually.
When I started my first practice, a mile down the road from his factory, he was of significant help and encouragement. He told me that being self-employed meant you were working for the worst and hardest boss in the world. Your boss was someone who would wake you up at 4 am to give you something to worry about. Who would make you work late and at weekends without overtime and who would check that you knew the size of your overdraft to the nearest penny at any time.
Two things that he said to me kept me going through the long hard times, I had them on my office wall as acronyms – I knew what they meant but nobody else did.
I.I.W.T.E.W.W.A.B.M.
If It Was That Easy We Would All Be Millionaires.
Success isn’t meant to come to you on a plate. It has to be earned. You do have to be smarter, faster, better, hungrier and quicker to adapt than the next one. Darwin was right, “It is not the strongest of the species that survive, nor the most intelligent, but the one most responsive to change.”
I.A.D.O.Y.
It All Depends On You
Nobody else to blame. Try failing and see how many true friends are left to console and support you. Well, success is exactly the same. You made it happen, you had the dream, you put in the hours, and you’re the one who made the sacrifices. You may have had a great team but it’s you that led and trained them. You’re the one who made the hard decisions, who put their head on the block, who got back up when they were knocked down. So when success arrives celebrate it, enjoy it – and then get back to work. As you have the worst and hardest boss in the world.
This article was written for Lily Head Dental Practice Sales in conjunction with Alun K Rees BDS is The Dental Business Coach.
