🤔Should your boss be your BFF or like Mr. Beast?

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The weekend’s over. Except for you industrious few with sense enough to extend it through Monday somehow. Congrats.

Today’s main thought is about a recent piece on a certain YouTube giant who is “too hard on his staff.” I’ve got an opinion on that… based on a wake-up call at my first job. This applies even if you are the boss or work for yourself.

Monday’s Marketing News is also on tap. BTW, good to see Etsy is just as ridiculous as the rest of the web.

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Bob the Boss Was a Meanie

Bob was all business at the Toyota distribution company I worked at right outta high school.

He was the head honcho. Now, he wasn’t rude or demeaning. Dude was laser-focused on getting the job done, though. And done right at the lowest cost. 

(Bob eventually fired me, but I’ll save that story for another day.)

This boss-man expected workers to literally run back and forth in order to keep up with the car wash - Toyotas went from train to clean-up and accessories then loaded on car-hauling trucks.

So we ran.

Also, Bob was so detailed that he picked a front lobby rug that matched Georgia’s famous red clay. 

That way it would require little cleaning and wouldn’t need to be replaced often. If ever! Bob could save a penny at every turn.

When the rare ice storm hit, Bob told us railcar workers that “if we didn’t feel safe unloading the cars, that was ok.” 

We didn’t believe that for a second. So, our little team climbed railcar ladders that were super slippery. 

Ok, that was Bob. He ruled with an iron fist. Again, without being a nasty human being. 

The flip side was…

Larry the Boss Was a Teddy Bear

Everybody liked Larry at the Toyota distribution center. 

He was friendly and had a casual vibe about him. Dude made you feel relaxed.

If a snowstorm hit, I’m sure he woulda told his workers to take the day off, heck, take three - even though Georgia snow melts in about 26 hours usually.

98-degree heat wave? Larry probably woulda let the crew knock off before noon to keep people from working too hard and getting overheated.

Larry did not care for how Bob ran the company. He wasn’t shy about saying so either.

He felt like Bob didn’t have to be so buttoned up, so demanding, or so efficient… or such a cheapskate (I started at $5/hour working there, no LOL).

Which Boss’s Style was Right (& best for the workers)?

Larry made $5/hour just like me!

He had formerly been a factory manager in Michigan. Said he used to let his teams off two or three hours early, as long as they had their work done.

No doubt he was considered a friend by those employees.

Probably right up until the factory closed down and the doors were chained shut.

That’s why Larry had to move to Georgia. To find a job. 

He went from a boss’s big salary managing like a hundred or so people, to going with a temporary staffing agency for $5 bucks an hour at the Toyota center.

Bob the Boss went on to bigger things. 

Bob moved higher up the corporate ladder and retired real comfortably with a fat nest egg and a trophy Labradoodle.

His employees had fat nest eggs too, BTW.

Now. Can I blame an entire factory closing down due to the casual management style Larry had? Nope…

But if you had to put money on that style being a factor, wouldn’t you bet Bob would not have let that happen?

Even though I liked Larry a whole lot, I’d put my money on Bob every time.

I’m sure the same thing applies to Mr. Beast. He might be too demanding for some employees. But he knows what it takes to be successful on YouTube. 

He’s just as demanding of himself. 

That’s the lesson. A successful business or project is driven by someone with serious drive and focus. It’s not luck, and it’s not being everyone's BFF. That’s what a personal life is for. 

BTW, the Toyota folks offered Larry a full-time job after about two months. His response? 

“I’ll take Bob’s job. Otherwise, I’m not interested.” True story.

Larry was hard not to like. But I’m betting he didn’t retire with a trophy Labradoodle.

Thanks for reading Inbox Hacking. Please share it with a friend or co-worker. I appreciate it.

Shane McLendon - Copy Kingpin