When I had a job, I always thought it must be pretty challenging to be someone’s boss.
I expected them to…
Be a confident and competent leader.
Express kindness and care toward their employees.
Maintain an organized system.
That’s a lot to do all at once.
I’ve worked in restaurants, at a home remodeling company, and on a farm. I’ve had phenomenal bosses. I’ve had terrible ones.
A good leader can be the difference between dreading going to work and looking forward to it. A strong captain can make us feel safe. They can even become a mentor to us. I still keep in touch with the best bosses I’ve worked with.
The #1 reason people quit their jobs is because of poor leadership. Here’s a graph that paints the picture.
From The Hustle.
Luckily, I’ve never really experienced any of this. I’ve just had some bosses who had no ability to build connections with employees. It just felt like they were kind of…there. They didn’t light anyone up and it felt like they were easily replaceable.
I’ve learned how to lead from the great bosses I’ve had. While I’ve never hired anyone, I use their lessons on a weekly basis with my team and community. I still remember how they made me feel.
The way things are going, I’ll never have another boss in my lifetime. But I’m quite pleased with my track record.
I’ll end this with a statistic.
Of the highest performing and most fulfilled people in the workforce, 91% of them answered “Yes” to this question:
Do you feel like your boss cares about you as a person?