You're Nobody Unless You're The Boss.

I've burned bridges drowning them in jet fuel to make sure even the ashes pissed away as I lit them up.  I've looked the other way in situations, not because it was right or wrong -- who cares about right and wrong? This is life; it's never black and white. It's murky at best. I've been called out on regulations, investigated by "men in black," I've even had reporters sleep on my porch just to get a fifteen second sound bite of me telling them to shove off as I pose for selfies.   

I did this because I suffer from being a Boss. 

Success hit me at a young age. Looking back maybe too damn young. I hadn't slept with failure nearly enough to appreciate its curves. There was no battle I couldn't champion. There was no idea I couldn't build a bridge to. No -- didn't exist in my vocabulary. 

The DNA Of A Boss...

B = Business    

It's just business. That's what you tell your competitor after you crush them, buy them out and flick off their office lights for good. Here's the truth...it's never "just business."    

A Boss has an unjustifiable sense of vengeance pulsing through their veins.  Be warned, this is contagious. It's on the same level as catching a cold. There's no cure for this, you either thrive or get left behind. That's business.

O = Owner

I own this.  And I do. I own every action I take. Every word I spit out is deliberate. Every contract that rolls on my desk I decide whether I'll turn it into a paper airplane or leverage it to buy a new Tesla.

A Boss can attribute 90% of their arrogance to being called the owner of "XYZ Corporation." Their name is cemented into business cards, blasted on PR pieces, and God forbid, carved into the side of a building -- it's like crack without all the numbing side effects. You fall into your own little universe where you are The Chosen One back kicking your way to own that missing 10%.

S = Success

Success has a face. I see its mug every day in the mirror.  We have a ritual. A staring contest, the first one to blink loses. And I NEVER LOSE. The Boss never loses.  If I lose, the world ends and between us, I've grown to enjoy this universe I've built.     

A Boss won't recognize you unless you wear success to the office. That bothers you? It doesn't matter; we're not really talking right now.  Think about it, the Boss may join you at a meeting but rarely do they listen. We don't have two-way conversations -- we send messages and you listen. Jeez, this universe amuses me.  

S = Syndrome 

There's nothing wrong me. How can there be? Everything before you is a result of years of dedication, hard work, determination.  So what if I traded hours for dollars. At the end of the day, if it's not making me money it's costing me revenue.

A Boss isn't here to make things easy. A Boss is here to get things done. If that's an illness f-the cure. It's not needed. Superman looks up to me. 

I Am A Boss...Are You? 

You never stop being a Boss. You might pay your dues and come to peace with the actions you've committed, but it never fully goes away. At some point, you reach the top and it isn't the competition that knocks you down...it's you. It's the cost of being a Boss.

One day you realize what you've become. It usually happens at the worst time. You're in a meeting, talking shop and realize you kind of hate yourself and all these people around you...they kind of hate you too.

It hits you hard. It's on the same level of falling out of love. You spiral a bit. Drop a couple pounds. Forget to shave for a month. In your head, you go through every action, every deal, every milestone and try to figure out where it all went wrong.

You're Nobody Unless You're The Boss.

The worst part about being a Boss are the people you don't see. The relationships you dismiss because you have a sickness. If I could go back in time, I'd punch myself in the face and say,"Listen up. Don't be a Boss. Be someone who inspires others to be more."   

If you're reading this, I would love to hear what you think. I'd love to know your war stories about being a Boss, turning into a Boss or / and even dealing with a Boss.

The past can't be changed. What's done, is done. The question now is, what are we going to do about this so the future has a chance.