'I'm the Best Boss I've Ever Met': Barbara Corcoran Says It Takes One Principle to Be a Good Boss Corcoran says her perspective is always rooted in what she can do to help her employees.
By Sherin Shibu Edited by Melissa Malamut
Key Takeaways
- Barbara Corcoran founded The Corcoran Group and sold it in 2001 for an estimated $70 million.
- The longtime "Shark Tank" investor explained the one principle behind being a good boss.
It's Shark Tank investor Barbara Corcoran's birthday today.
To celebrate, the 76-year-old shared some pictures on Instagram and advice on how to be a good boss, stating in an Instagram video that, of all the top business leaders she's ever met, she is the best boss of them all.
"I don't mean to brag, but I am the best boss I've ever met, by far," Corcoran said in the video, which was shared with her 1.1 million Instagram followers. "I don't think anyone could be a better boss than me."
Related: Barbara Corcoran Needed to Make Job Cuts. Here's Why She Fired Her Mom First.
Corcoran explained that being a good boss meant taking action from "the very first day" on a simple grounding principle: You work for who is working for you. In other words, the boss works for the benefit of the employee.
Corcoran has more than half a century of experience managing employees. She founded and ran The Corcoran Group, a New York City-based real estate brokerage, for nearly 30 years. When she sold the company in 2001 for an estimated $70 million, its ranks had grown from seven agents in 1973 to a staff of about 700 brokers in 2001.
Corcoran now makes about $4.5 million a year from her investments, including profits from some of the more than 650 deals she's made on "Shark Tank" while appearing as an original cast member for 16 seasons.
Corcoran says her perspective is always rooted in what she can do to help her employees.
"That's my attitude my entire life," Corcoran said in the Instagram video. "What can I do for you?"
Corcoran asks her employees what they want, where they would like to work, and how she can make their jobs easier. She then follows through by giving them what they ask for and taking action to help them advance in their careers.
Though Corcoran stated that she acts "selflessly" toward her employees, she also acknowledged that her actions help her get ahead as a boss. As her employees become stronger and move up the ranks in their careers, she gets to stay solidly connected to them and tap into that connection wherever they end up. That future bond grows stronger because of Corcoran's interest from the start in serving the employee.
"I shower my people with anything they need selflessly," Corcoran stated, adding that as employees advance in their careers, "they carry me for a free ride along with them."
Related: 'Do You Know What a First Class Ticket Costs?' Why Barbara Corcoran Flies Coach
