I'm not the only one who's ever asked this particular question, but it's my first time doing it here: why do all those rappers look so mad?

Why? Because it helps them sell records, that's why. Most of them really aren't that mad at all; why should they be? Many of them are rolling in money for music that really doesn't have much substance to it at all; yeah, I said that.

There are some very talented rap artists out there, but it's not close to the majority. Yet, put on a face that looks like it's been sucking lemons, throw in a flashy grill (that's the jewelry put over teeth, for the uninitiated), baggy pants with your underwear showing and an irreverent T-shirt and you're now a million dollar rapper.

But it's all image. I couldn't begin to tell you how many rappers have been "outed:" as not having the background they tried to tell people they had. Many of them weren't quite as poor, or as much into drugs as they purport, or lack a sense of humor that they purport. You want to see for yourself; just go to a black barbershop one weekend when the TV has cartoons on and see how many of them are engrossed and laughing at what's going on. And when these rappers are found out, suddenly they're not as popular anymore, which may be an interesting endictment against our society, but for these rappers, it's back to looking for a different kind of day job, hopefully one that will keep some of them out of trouble.

Let's relate this to some managers. Many come into a position with a lot of flash and bluster and sound like they're really going to make a positive difference in the company and their departments. Yet, within a short period of time, employees learn that they don't have the goods to match the hype, and feel disillusioned. Once an employee feels disillusioned, it's hard to bring them back into the fold, and they'll probably not be around for very long.

What type of manager are you? And, if you need help in learning how to be something more, do you know where to find it? Do you care Important questions to ask if you want to be in management for long.