What Was Your Best Boss Like?
By Sandy Schroeder
My really great bosses have all shared a few characteristics. Somehow, you always knew you could count on them, and you knew they counted on you. They were also rock solid, no matter what happened.
Travis Bradberry, co-founder of TalentSmart, a group that services many of the Fortune 500 companies, broke out some of these characteristics recently. See what you think. Do these characteristics fit your best boss ever?
They know what's what – The great bosses that I had all came prepared to do the job. Operating from a solid base of experience, they helped each of us learn more, and never hesitated to ask for help.
They never get excited – Great bosses handle a crisis with ease, assessing the problem and responding with strength. Other bosses that I have known add fuel to the fire when a crisis hits. Their emotional control plummets, and their decisions tend to be all over the map.
They think it through – The really great bosses move ahead at a calm pace. They ask questions, do the research and think everything through. Nobody gets left hanging out because they have put a plan in place that works.
They always make it easy – I had a boss, some time ago, who knew how to make every project a winner. He would come in smiling and gradually pull everyone into the project, singling out their talents and inviting their suggestions. Sometimes the projects were critical, and he might have been tempted to just lay out the assignments and tell everyone to get to work. But he never did. He always took the time to help everyone own the project.
They reject fear – Great bosses know that danger is real, but fear is an attitude that we accept or reject. People who let fear dictate never know what it is like to conquer their fears and keep right on going.
They believe in their abilities – The best bosses believe in their employees. When something goes awry, they accept it and find out how to fix it. They welcome challenges and build everyone’s confidence simply by being enthusiastic. They believe attitude is all.
They appreciate the present – Great bosses know where they have been, and where they are now. They are thankful for opportunities and hard-working employees. They know a strong team really accomplishes the most.
A lot of these characteristics work well for employees too. Often they learn them from those great bosses.
To learn more about your health and wellness, see your local chiropractor at The Joint Chiropractic.