Is the grass greener in the corner office or the cubicle

I always thought that it's way easier being the head honcho rather than working for one. Now I won't say I've had a sudden epiphany and realized that I was completely wrong. What I've come to understand is that maybe the saying 'the grass is greener on the other side' has some truth to it. (Remember the song in Disney's 'The Little Mermaid', 'Under The Sea'.)

At times being an employee sucks big time and you just want the weekend to come. I've had my share of bad bosses. That's why when I got a chance to be the boss, I promised myself that I would follow these rules:
1. Respect each employee as a fellow human being
2. Be approachable
3. Be empathetic
4. Be clear in what you expect of roles/positions/people
5. Stay open to constructive criticism

For about a year, hubby and I were busy laying the groundwork for our dream project and we had only a couple of employees. In the last 3 months we have gotten closer to launch date and have started large scale recruitment. This month we crossed the 100 mark and started getting a feel of what we were in for, on the employee front. The issues that we have faced till date can be largely categorized as:
1. The disgruntled employee, who feels a need to spread the negativity vibe
2. The person who applied for a certain role and once on-board doesn't want to play that role
3. People who accept offers and never turn-up (that is, they don't even let you know)
4. The trouble-maker who creates a mountain out of an HR molehill. Individually these people wouldn't have a foot to stand on, however they are good at inciting others (and we get to clean-up their mess)

This does not mean it's all bad. There are quite a few people who make working with them a pleasure. They come into work raring to go and waiting to give their tasks all they've got. The want to have careers, not jobs. These are the kind of employees any organization would be lucky to recruit. I have found these people to exist across all departments and levels, whether they are a member of the housekeeping staff or a department head. In fact, when I go into work every morning, I thank my lucky stars that we were fortunate enough to stumble upon such individuals. To offset the list above, let me give you one more list, a diametrically opposite one. These are the attributes that an ideal employee has, at least in my opinion:
1. Generally enthusiastic and proactive, though not interfering or irritating
2. Focused
3. Has the ability to think out-of-the-box
4. Eager to expand their knowledge/field of operation
5. Interested in mentoring others
6. A great team player

So hats off to all those people who make our work place a positive and bright one.