I watched Jay Leno on Inside The Actors Studio this morning. (on French TV, we have Inside The Actors Studio, but with approximately 4 years delay). James Lipton, the host of the show, had visited Leno’s office two days before and was amazed by how small it was.

Jay Leno simply answered that the higher you are, the smaller the office. If someone comes to your office to get a raise or something else, he will look at the office and say « Hmmwell, this is your office … sorry didn’t want to bother you ». And back to work.

Maybe that’s not all, but the general idea is true. Everything that you do or have, particularly as a manager, is a sign that is gonna be interpreted by others. Think about the signs you’re sending out: office, car, work hours, flexibility, humility, competence …