Another day, another dollar! We know you’ve been busy with the hustle and bustle of work, don’t worry. In case you missed it (ICYMI) here are the top business, leadership and workplace musings that had us talking this week—all focused on being a better manager and not looking like an idiot at work!

Yikes! 3 ways mangers start off on the wrong foot

It’s really, really difficult to undo a bad first impression. This week, Heidi Grant Halvorson wrote an article on Harvard Business Review about the three ways managers start off on the wrong foot. It’s a great article filled with fabulous advice.

To summarize, here’s how a few tips on how to bounce back if you start off on the wrong foot.

Act like you know everything. Here’s the thing, overconfident people have a tendency to rub people the wrong way. Your intention of being jazzed up about leading a new team could come off a little too strong. Don’t act like you know everything and check yourself to make sure your enthusiasm and opinions are well received.
Acting too professional. This may seem counterintuitive, but acting too professional can make you look unapproachable. According to the article, in order to be successful your team needs to trust you, “And in order to figure out if you are trustworthy, people will tune in to two particular aspects of your character, right from the get go – your warmth and your competence.
Hide the crazy. There’s a difference from being authentic and being crazy. Showing your crazy tendencies makes you look like you lack self-control and as result makes you appear less trustworthy.

For some more great advice, check out the full article on Harvard Business Review.

75 incorrectly words used that make you look… dumb!

No one wants to look like an idiot, but the English language can be tricky! There’s always those words you struggle with getting right. Jeff Haden on Inc. put together a fool proof list on the 75 words you might not be using correctly.

Here are a few from the list:

Adverse and averse
Between and among
Elicit and illicit
Insure and ensure
Peak and peek (this one gets super tricky when you want to write “sneak peek”)
Sympathy and empathy

Head over to Inc. to check out the full list that breaks down the meaning of each word.

When it’s necessary to be a jerk at work

This week, Lydia Dishman, a FastCompany contributor, interviewed Andrea Cutright, chief operating officer of Ask.fm, about how sometimes you have to be a little assertive and ruffle a few feathers to achieve your goals at work. In the article, Cutright clarifies what she means by jerk. Jerks aren’t micromanagers, narcissists, or bullies, being a jerk means that you’re confident in what you want and you’re willing to stand up and fight for it.

A few of the key takeaways include:

Forget compromise and focus
Know the right time to be a jerk
There’s a difference between like and respect
Know when to back down

One of my favorite quotes from the article is:

“It is easier to act like a jerk when it comes from a place of passion, and when you want it to lead to a very specific action,” she says. “Being unyielding can demonstrate power in a way that knowing facts or being smart or being charming cannot,” she adds.

Check out the full article for some great leadership advice!