Happy New Year! It’s that time of year when we bundle up, try to keep our resolutions – and when many people look for a new job. When job searching, we usually consider the location and commute time, the salary, and the responsibilities of the job. But while we’re considering whether the job is a good fit, we may not be considering whether the boss for that job will also be a good fit. Can we work well together? Ask any of your family members, friends or coworkers – have you had a terrible boss? Everyone will have an answer, plus a fair number of cringe-worthy (if not outright disturbing) stories!
I’ve certainly had my fair share of both good and bad bosses. And I’ve learned a lot from both the good and the bad ones – I’ve learned seemingly effortless leadership requires a lot of effort, I’ve learned what I don’t want in a boss, and I’ve learned how to be a better boss myself. The top traits that my good bosses have been very good at (and the bad ones exceedingly bad at!) are:
- Respect – They respect me and work to earn my respect; they recognize that we’re both smart, hard-working professionals, and even though one of us signs the timesheets, we’re still coworkers.
- Decision making – My best bosses have been good decision makers, for the easy decisions as well as the difficult ones. And, they know that I’m a good decision maker, so they can focus on their work knowing that I’m handling decisions that will make our team effective and successful.
- Space! – My best bosses have given me the space to do my job. They trust my skill and ability to do my job, and also trust in my ability to learn from my mistakes (because we all make them!). They empower me to not just do my job, but to excel at my job.
We all know what we don’t want in a boss (micromanager, bad communicator, critical without being constructive, bullies, poor planners, drama kings/queens, etc.). But it’s just as important to know what traits we want in a boss, so we can be successful and make our work day just a little better!
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