"It's good to be the King," said Mel Brooks in History of the World Part I.Lots of employees envy the boss; the boss is the one who sets the agenda, enforces the rules, and gets to make the decisions the rest of us must implement.
From the outside looking up, management seems like a great job. Telling others what to do, instead of being told what to do, is really the essence of what many people aspire to.
Yet from the perspective of managers, there's no job more humbling. Making decisions - no matter how benign - that affect people's lives is difficult. The balance between managing and doing is a fine one.
For example, the best salesperson does not necessarily make the best manager. The attributes needed to succeed in sales - supreme self-confidence, self-motivation and determination along with a strong measure of independence - are not those which are desired in a great manager.
Management requires a huge team concept, the ability to admit you've made incorrect decisions and immediately change course.
A very good checklist on "Are You Ready For Management" is available here - written by Jackie Harder in the Miami Herald.
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