Many people strive to take on a leadership position within their field. In fact, most financial modeling professionals hope to be “the boss” eventually. However, just because you are the boss does not mean you are a good boss. And many have the attitude that you don’t have to be a good boss to be THE boss; this is true but there are advantages to being a good boss in financial modeling but it takes time and effort to accomplish this.
First, to be a good boss you have to have patience, tolerance, and listening skills. Without these traits, you are likely to never accomplish the status of “good boss.” It is true that many people do not have these qualities and feel that they cannot be learned. This is not true. You can learn to be patient and to listen instead of talk if you just work on it. A good financial modeling professional will try to develop these skills early.
Next, you need to have the courage and self-esteem to not care if you are liked. Being the boss does not mean everyone will hate you but it does not mean everyone will always like you either. You have to be comfortable with making tough decisions with the overall goal in mind all the while being mindful of the real feelings and emotions of your employees. Being a compassionate financial modeling professional can go a long way in this category as well.
Lastly, you want to have a good attitude and have some fun. No one wants to work for a financial modeling professional that is always negative, worried, or a stick in the mud. Make sure you show your enthusiasm for a job well done, tell your employees when they have good ideas and have done good work, and joke and lighten up once in a while to show them that you are human with human emotions. Remember that there is a time and place for joking but remember there IS a time and place for joking. All this will make your employees more relaxed and feel at ease around you as their boss. In the end, a patient, tolerant, positive and fun financial modeling professional is a boss that employees like to work for therefore making your team much more productive.