Managers and Leaders

Chris,

I don't know if you remember the series of hot minute jobs I had. I sold art out of the trunk of my car. I hosted trivia for a number of bars around town. I worked the door at several bars checking IDs. The two I wanna talk about though are the two I had at the same time. I used to work at a high end art gallery on Park Avenue, the posh street in town. The same time I was working near the university selling liquor at a pretty slow paced liquor store.

I was working both of them full time and it was starting to get to me I'd wake up and open the art gallery, then shift over to closing down the liquor store and I'd be doing this six to seven days a week. The money was only good cause I had no time to spend it. After a while I gave my notice at the art gallery and had more time at the liquor store to work on other side projects.

I remember the owner of the art gallery was obsessed with image, that of the gallery and his own. One interaction I had with him he wanted me to vacuum the entire gallery again, when I had just done it that morning to his approval and now wanted it done again even though no one had stepped foot in the place. I asked what the point was for that and it would probably have me over time and as this was my last day I didn't see the point in going over on my hours. In one of the weirder moments I've had he told me if I ever spoke back to him again he would fire me. Which... I was quitting that day. It was my last day.... How you gonna fire someone who's gone?

What that did show was a bad manager. He set out KPIs — the floor being vacuumed regularly. He dictated the work, not explained or helped, and generally was rarely there. The gallery closed pretty soon after I left.

The liquor store I was working at was pretty slow. Slow enough that I knew it wasn't long for this world as did the owner, he had another location and just needed some bodies to run this satellite location while he figured out what to do next. I remember one point cause there was no one to take over for me to take a lunch break I ordered a sub from a place near the other store. They let the owner of the liquor store know and I got a call immediately. "hey I heard you needed food so i paid for it don't be afraid to ask for things we got you." It wasn't a thing we talked about often but he was always there giving and making sure his employees were taken care of.

He was an owner and a manager but also a leader. He made sure his team was good, taken care of and focused on them being able to be trusted with his business. I'd never see him checking up on me, just had to get him the paperwork at the end of the night. He was so good to me it never occurred to me to ever do anything but the best for his business and to this day I'd take off jobs if he needed me to work.

At the art gallery I had enough and let them know. The liquor store I knew I was a short timer and was basically a contractor. The way each of them treated me though was night and day and is the major difference in my mind between a manager and a leader. It's about focus, do you focus on the team or do you focus on the outcome. The gallery owner managed tasks. The liquor store owner led people. One will happen naturally the other you're going to be drudging uphill the entire way cracking a whip.

"Now listen up and hear what I'm saying
If he's not talking to himself
Then he must be praying
Shine my shoes and ask for a dime
then pick my pockets whie i'm in line
He keeps telling me the score
Down at the liquor store"

Less than Jake (Liquor Store)

I hope that helps.