These days entrepreneurship has been romanticized so much that I’ve watched people sadly admit they have jobs…..as if a job is a bad thing! “Screw a day job” they yell along with their fellow team no sleep clique.

But here’s the thing, you don’t become a great leader/entrepreneur without being a great employee first. That work ethic doesn’t miraculously appear because you slapped a new title on yourself.

Pro tip like my mom always tells me; put a little pride in your work, it’ll show.

Here are some of the key differences between being ready to lead and an employee (apprentice) via HBR.

Counting value vs Creating value. You’re probably counting value, not adding it if you’re managing people. Only managers count value; some even reduce the value by disabling those who add value. If a diamond cutter is asked to report every 15 minutes how many stones he has cut, by distracting him, his boss is subtracting value.

By contrast, leaders focus on creating value, saying: “I’d like you to handle A while I deal with B.”

Circles of influence vs Circles of power. Just as managers have subordinates and leaders have followers, managers create circles of power while leaders create circles of influence.

The quickest way to figure out which of the two you’re doing is to count the number of people outside your reporting hierarchy who come to you for advice. The more that do, the more likely it is that you are perceived to be a leader.

Leading people vs Managing work. Management consists of controlling a group or a set of entities to accomplish a goal. Leadership refers to an individual’s ability to influence, motivate, and enable others to contribute toward organizational success. Influence and inspiration separate leaders from managers, not power and control

If after reading this you realize you have some work to do, do so! Try your hardest to not let emotions ruin opportunities for you.

Here’s to escaping average,