Becoming a Manager

Introduction

Do you know how hard it is to be the boss, when you are so out of control! It’s hard to verbalize. It’s the feeling that all of a sudden … it’s the feeling you get when you have a child. On day X minus 1, you still don’t have a child. On day X, all of a sudden you’re a mother or a father and you’re supposed to know everything there is to know about taking care of this kid.^*

This observation was made by a new branch manager in a securities firm. He had been in his new position for only one month. Before promotion he had been a broker for thirteen years. He was a star producer, one of the most aggressive and innovative brokers in his region. Neither he nor his peers were surprised when the regional director asked him to consider ...