When you start out, you have no idea what you don’t know. Even worse, there’s a lot of things that you think are true that turn out to be wrong. Here are a few of the things I thought were true before life taught me otherwise.

I Thought My Job as A Boss Was to Be in Charge, But…

I learned that my real job was helping the team and team members succeed. Today I might call that “servant leadership.” The truth is, that I thought bosses told people what to do instead of helping them do a good job.

I Thought That the Best Way to Assign Work Was to Give People the Goal and Turn Them Loose, But…

I learned that only works if the person who gets the assignment has the ability and willingness to do the work promptly and well. Ability is fairly easy to fix. Willingness is not.

I Thought I Would Be Judged on My Performance, But…

I learned that I was judged based on my team’s performance. That can be an awful shock, but it’s also very freeing. When you learn that you don’t have to do everything, you can do a better job and sleep better at night.

I Thought “Incentives” Meant Financial Incentives, But…

I learned that the most powerful incentives come from inside. People want to have as much control as possible over their work. They want to work with people they like and respect and where trust and help flow back and forth. And they want to do good work today and a little better work tomorrow.

I Thought I Could Solve Any Problem with Enough Equations, But…

I learned that people and relationships are the most important things in business. The equations can help you understand business models and competitive dynamics. Only people can help you succeed.

I Thought the Way to Succeed Was to Plan My Work and Work My Plan, But…

I learned that plans are only a starting point. Plans come apart when reality comes to play. I also learned that we make our plans when we know the least about what we have to do and accomplish. And I learned that no one is smart enough to plan for every contingency. Better to sketch out a plan, swing into action, and then modify your plan accordingly.

I Thought I Needed to Get All the Information Before Making a Decision, But…

I learned that’s a recipe for “paralysis by analysis.” Usually, the best course is to gather as much information as you can quickly and then act. You can modify your plans as you go. A pretty good solution implemented aggressively today usually beats a perfect solution executed next week.

I Thought That People’s Primary Loyalty Was to Their Company, But…

I learned the company comes way down on the list of priorities. People are rarely loyal to their company, per se. They may be loyal to their profession. They are occasionally loyal to a good boss. But the most powerful loyalty around is the loyalty to the other members of the team.

I Thought That I’d Learn How to Be a Great Boss Once and for All, But …

I’m still learning, after 50 years. That’s part of the fun.Watch movie online The Transporter Refueled (2015)

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