"There is only one boss: the customer. And he can fire everybody in the company, from the chairman on down, simply by spending his money somewhere else." ~ Sam Walton
One leader at our lunch recently witnessed the bankruptcy of his friend. His friend often bragged that he worked for himself. His favorite statement was, "I don't give a [rip] because I'm my own boss."
Then his largest customer found a more competitive deal. He lost all the business. Our leader told us that this accounted for 86% of his revenue.
Result: bankruptcy.
You will always be under the authority of someone. It may be a boss. It may be a customer. It may be the law. But you will be under the authority of someone.
Recognize this early and realize that part of life is learning the other side's needs and helping them.