I think there might be an opportunity there.
That’s a sentence that destroys focus, motivation, productivity. Because it is true, there probably is an opportunity here, there, and everywhere in between. And that’s not a good reason to pause and go pursue it.
Everyone who is about to get promoted to a higher role that requires them to manage people, should sit in a meeting and demonstrate that they can:
If they talk too much, if they interrupt others, if they ignore the person who is silent, if they don’t ask open questions and listen, if they go back to the same topics every other meeting.
They are not fit for the role.
You get what you measure.
Unless you measure too many things.
In that case, most likely, you get nothing.
Define success, pick a good proxy, and stick with it.
When you raise through the ranks, keep in mind that your role, responsibilities, relationships shift.
It is mainly a journey you have to do alone. And you can’t make up for it by pretending you are still friend with everyone. Your words have a different weight. Your messages have a different weight. Even your ideas and opinions have a different weight. The best you can do is embrace this fact and act as it is expected by your new role.
Instead of cracking an ambiguous joke, shut up and listen.
Instead of sharing your pain and frustration, own other’s pains and frustrations.
Instead of giving your opinion on every topic, ensure that others can give theirs.
The friend complex is dangerous for founders, executives, managers. Whether you resist to it might make the difference between being alone and being lonely.
When you can’t stand somebody.
When you have problems with them, can’t figure out what they stand for, have concerns about their agenda.
When you had an argument, can’t see eye to eye, really can’t understand.
When they are so different they annoy you, unnerve you, dishearten you, hurt you.
The only real thing to do is to be even closer to them. If you care about the relationship, of course.
You've got this 