There are some times in life when everything changes.
For families, it’s the birth of the first child. For people in business, it’s
moving from individual contributor to boss. Here are a dozen things to think
about.

Being a boss is a different kind of work, more like changing a career than
changing jobs.

You may have been a leader before, but now being a leader is part of your
job.

The team is now your destiny and you’re accountable for the way they
accomplish the mission.

You will do better if you work to help your team members succeed.

You’re the default decider.

It’s going to take you more than a year to get effective and comfortable with
the basics of the job.

It will take you a decade to master the job.

You are responsible for your own development, no matter what programs your
company has.

Some people who used to think you were competent now assume you’re a
jerk.

Some people will laugh at your jokes who never used to think you were
funny.

Conversations are your primary tool for getting your job done.

You will almost certainly not be ready for your new work, hardly anyone is,
but you will be expected to perform right away.

Boss’s Bottom Line

When you become a boss, your job is to help the team and the team members
succeed. It can be the most rewarding job in the world, or a living hell. You
make the choice.