Entrepreneurs love to think that they are their own boss, which is true to a certain degree and also not true. The truth is for everyone they have a boss. Lets go through the different careers and who your boss/bosses would be and understand how those relationships work.

Staff and Manager (non-office)- these types of relationships tend be very rocky especially in retail settings. It is not uncommon to hear about struggles and challenges dealing with these types of relationships. They are very temporary as most non-office work falls under the retail category which for many people is simply a stop along the way for a better working opportunity. In retail settings you won't see many other types of relationships.

Staff and Manager (office)- Much like the retail setting, it is not uncommon to find very adversarial relationships between staff and managers. But at this stage you are more likely to find managers who are willing to invest in you. In an office setting your relationships to co-workers typically is what will change more. There is a little bit more stability as people tend to stay longer once they reach their peak earnings. But generally the relationships will be better depending on company culture.

Manager and Mid level manager- Regardless whether its an office or retail relationship, the manager and mid-level manager reflects the manager and staff relationship. The manager is usually implementing policies that come from a much higher place in the organization and the mid-level manager is usually the one passing that assignment along. While there are fewer people the higher you go up the organizational ladder it doesn't change that it is a "one person is in charge and one person is receiving the work".

Mid-level to upper level management- Again this will reflect what we previously mentioned about the working relationships. Upper level management is right below executives and top level management. These works that are being passed down are going to affect the macros of an organization whereas the staff and managers are dealing with a more micro view. Everything from this point is about maximizing the organizational performance both from a performance and administrative perspective.

Upper level to executive leadership- Executive leadership is the top level of leadership. They are the ones calling the shots, but they too have a boss. If you work for a company you are responsible to the shareholders, if you work for the government you are working for the governor and the people. Ultimantely there is always someone either calling the shots or dictating how things are going to be done. At this level it isn't always directly telling, much of this is based on actions such as share prices falling or approval ratings falling.

Lastly we have entrepreneurs. Entrepreneurs do receive funding from a variety of sources this mirrors the upper level and executive leadership relationships. These funders expect to see their money back or a significant return on investment. If you can't deliver that you are going to very quickly land yourself into hot water. Entrepreneurs have a second boss as well. Their customers. The customer is the life blood of the entrepreneurial life, your success lives and dies based on how much customers love your product in conjunction to your ability to balance this with the administrative duties.

As you can see we all have a boss. Its not a bad thing to have a boss. This simply means that there is always someone dictating things that they want or need. If you don't like your boss that is another issue, of needing to find a better working relationship, but there is always a chance that you will run into the same issues. So before you head out to start you entrepreneurial journey or grind away at the office, consider who you are boss is so that you can move up the ladder as quickly as possible to get the best results for you.