During a recent seminar, I asked the participants to close their eyes and think of the best boss they ever had. Two people spoke up and said they had never experienced a good boss, much less a “BEST” boss. That started me thinking; what is a best boss and how can we develop more of them?
So I am asking you here to share your experiences of your best boss stories here on this blog. When we talk about a best boss, I am talking about a direct supervisor or boss, not the leader of a division. Rather someone you report (or reported) to directly. I am not looking for a good boss who did something outstanding one time. Instead, a best boss should be someone who is or was there day in and day out. What did he or she do, consistently, to make you think of them when asked about your best boss?
I would ask that if you are comfortable in sharing your best boss’s name and company please do so, as we want to honor the best of the best.
Please let’s keep this to just the best bosses for now. We can have a bad boss blog another time.
I will start with the story of my best boss ever, Bob White from back when I sold real estate. He was only my boss for about seven months, back in 1980, before our office was sold and he was no longer the manager of the office.
Bob took the time to help me develop as a person and a real estate professional. Bob coached me and showed the ropes. He helped me develop in a very professional manner. He trusted me and yet he pushed me greatly.
I am reminded of one time in particular where Bob really set me up for what I do today by paying for a ticket to see the incredible Tom Hopkins deliver an intensive two-day workshop for over 200 real estate professionals. This was a training session I did not want to attend and did not think I needed, yet Bob thought I should go. I did not want to spend the money so Bob told me that he had a free ticket to the event.
Back then I thought, “If it is free I must take it.” (I do not believe that today) So I showed up at the facility early the first day, wanting to get a good seat up front. I took the two day intensive workshop, proactively engaged with Tom Hopkins, and learned more than just about real estate. It was the beginning of my life’s journey to becoming a Certified Speaking Professional. All of this occurred because my best boss ever, Bob White, pushed me to attend a workshop.
I am anxious to hear your stories here and I will tweet out blurbs using the hash tag #BestBoss to bring others to the site, so please sing the praises of those great bosses and leaders in your lives.
Note: By posting a response here, unless you ask us not to, you are granting permission to use your name and to re-broadcast your story through our social media networks.
Image courtesy of Kumar Appaiah
Hi Gregg! My best boss ever was Genevieve McMahon. She served as a senior manager for the subscriptions department of the first nonprofit that I worked for–as well as my first job after high school as a subscriptions coordinator. I was in a DC-based program to help inner city high school graduates work while attending college full-time. I am a native Washingtonian who was educated in the DC school system. When I graduated high school in 1978, there was not a lot of diversity within the student body, nor the faculty, so my entire existence prior to college was exclusively in the African-American community. Although I was bright, I had no experience communicating and interacting with people of different races and cultures. Ginny was a middle-aged Caucasion women who was raised in upstate New York. Even with our different backgrounds and experiences, she summarily took me under her wing, showed me the ropes, encouraged me, and gave me the confidence in myself to move out of my comfort levels and expand my horizons. That experience also propelled me to remain in the nonprofit field–which I find completely rewarding–and I now have my master’s degree and a six-figure salary. My time with Ginny was pivitol because many of my peers were settling for “good government jobs,” and I now have a career that I love, and provide services to others–which is totally fulfilling.
I have been very fortunate to have many great bosses. Edward Feinberg, DVM taught me about the value of quality regarding products and services, especially in customer service.
Brian J. Green, DVM taught me the value of having a sense of humor at work when days can be long and stressful. At the same time, he was a model of professionalism and entrepreneurialism. He believed in referring to specialists if he knew that was best for his patients; this demonstrated to me honesty, integrity and empathy. Dr. Green was very generous. I’m sure I was paid above what others in my role earned at other animal hospitals, plus he gave nice perks — savings club membership, free gasoline (!), paid stay at luxury hotel for my husband and me (he helped me meet my husband, and he was trying to encourage him to propose marriage at this beautiful hotel). He even helped me leave work on time for night school when I went for my Masters degree in Human Resources *and* paid for a semester of my tuition (!) even though he knew that I would be moving on to a new career.
Angela Schwann and Kathryn Decelles of Coca-Cola were great role models of successful and professional women in the corporate environment. They always showed appreciation and recognition of my work, and they allowed me to take many training programs for professional development.
Karen Yesnick of the NY Botanical Garden believed in my abilities enough to promote me twice while I worked with her. I appreciate the opportunities to take on a lot of responsibility at that job.
Alice De Lancey of Lowenstein Sandler is inspirational as a Human Resources executive, and I am very fortunate to work for and learn from her.
Valerie & Mary,
Over the years in asking this question in my workshops there have been many who have said they have not even had a good boss — much less a GREAT boss. Thank you for taking the time to share
Now comes the hard part — I want you to contact those you have listed and tell them what you think of them and why. This should not be done via email either. It should be done either in person or if they are out of the area a phone call.
It is my belief that behavior that is rewarded will be repeated and when you share your feelings with them they will receive the reward; and believe it or not YOU will receive a reward just for telling them how you feel about them.