Often, the vision of what it means to be in charge and the reality of it are often very different. The skewed vision is probably ingrained from childhood where, as children, we couldn’t wait to grow up and no longer be told what to do. This ideal is further perpetuated when we are entry-level employees looking up the hierarchy just knowing there will be a day where we’re in charge and won’t have to account for ourselves or answer to anyone. We don’t just know it; we can’t wait for it!
And, then, we grow enough to finally have the years and experience it takes to land a position of authority and be in charge of others. It is then that we have choices to make regarding how we interact with, or manage, others because it is also here that we find effective management is not a one-size-fits-all, “Because I said so” proposition.
