1) Know when to ask for help and accept help offered. Very frequently, others may recognize a time when you need help. Sometimes we get so bogged down with the now that we can't recognize when we need a hand. If others offer a helping hand, don't get offended. Nobody goes out of their way to truly offer help if they are not being sincere about it. So if someone offers to help you, take them up on it. It will be painful in the short term, but you will be better off in the long run. Sometimes, we suffer in silence. If you are suffering, ask for help from that small circle of folks that will be there no matter what. Everybody has someone you can count on; sometimes, those people come from surprising places. 2) This one is trickier: learn when to wear the different hats. For example, you may, one day, be friends with your employees. Know when and how to wear the boss hat and the friendship hat. It's hard to separate the personal from the professional, but it's a skill that will preserve your friendships and will gain you respect from colleagues. Don't allow personal dust to clog the professional cogs. Remember that criticism about your performance is not personal, it's about doing a better job. If it gets personal, point that out to your friend, rise above it, and model professionalism.