I was watching a video of Tony Robbins while I was relaxing at the beach. I use my beach time to ponder the universe at night and also to read online. But, Tony said that he met a guy who was once a very capable manager. But, twenty years later, he had lost his mojo. He was tired, he didn’t have energy when he communicated, his enthusiasm was dampered. He just wasn’t the same leader. When he was feeling in charge, he moved his hands around more, he behaved as if he was in charge, and people listened more to him and did what he said.
Posture Helps
Part of the secret to being more in charge is to assume postures. Smile, stand up straight, and put your chest out. Behave like you are superman. Move your arms around like someone who is in charge. Think of yourself as being in charge. And also, decide that you are going to be in charge. A guy who feels in charge will have different body language from one who looks like he has given up. A guy in charge will gain more obedience from his workers because their animal instincts will tell them they better obey. The point here is to be more aware of this in charge body language vs. not in charge.
Energy is Essential
It is hard to be in charge if you don’t have energy, are not physically fit, or don’t think like someone who is in charge. It might help to visualize what life would be if you took charge. Visualize how you would interact differently with people. What people you would stop talking to, who you would talk more to, and how you would manage your company.
Take Charge of Yourself
Another factor is that it is hard to be in charge, if you are not in charge of yourself. If you have too many things to do, and not enough time, you’ll be constantly overwhelmed. When you have a schedule that is liberal enough that you are always on top of things, you might feel more in charge. Most of us are running around like we are tied to a back of a train — running just to keep up. This is not good for developing the mentality of being in charge. It is overwhelming.
Have Role Models
To be successful in a big way, you have to be in charge. Maybe it’s good to witness others being in charge. See how good conductors boss around an orchestra. See how the military guys assert their authority (it’s easy because the military will back them up.) See how a good boss from the English upper class says, “And see to it that it gets done before 5pm!”
Summary
When you run a small business and do not have a million dollar budget, sometimes it is a little hard to be in charge. After all, vendors don’t value small clients. So, how can you be in charge when others don’t fear your authority to fire them? I don’t know — I’m still working on that. Maybe offer them 15% more than their asking price if they do good work. I know one very successful company who does exactly that.
Are in you charge?