But rather than the “I’m now sucking up to you” holiday that it could be, I think it is important as leaders to honor the amazing mentors we’ve had in our lives. And if we’ve been lucky, they’ve been our boss.
I’m lucky – I’ve not had just one, but three.
Three bosses in my career come to mind who’ve helped me develop as a professional, but also as a person. They have been in critical points of my career – my first boss out of college, my first boss after a career transition, and my current boss at Sage.
Now, I’m a boss, and a leader in my own right. Here’s my top 10 things I appreciate about these three major influences in my life:
10. See me for me - as quirky, stubborn, opinionated, and passionate as I am
9. Take a chance on the underdog – the person no one really knows, but willing to take the risk and bet on me. Seeing the skill in my experience, and not putting me in a box
8. Understand I’m human – I have bad days, just like everyone else. They forgive, and in fact, embrace it
7. Believe in my potential – and often stand up for me when others may question “why Heather”
6. Pick me up when I fall down – we all fall, but how we deal with failure, and our bosses deal with failure, is critical for our williness to step on the limb and take a risk. Perfection is a myth, and having bosses who understand this is critical for us over-achievers
5. Have my back – besides picking me up, having my back politically in the company is crucial. I trust you to support me, and when they show they do, no matter what, it’s awesome
4. Give me opportunity – I want to be challenged, learn new things, and grow
3. Coach me, teach me – I don’t know what I want to be when I grow up, but teach me to be better, but also show me where I’m already great
2. Let me be free – trust that I’m working in the best interest of the company to the best of my ability
1. Value me for who I am, and what I can bring – above all else, take a vested interest in me and my growth, with or without the company we are currently in
Would your employees say this about you? Do you want them to, or do you care? You should. It makes the difference in their lives.
I want to thank you Terry, Victoria, and Krista, for helping me grow, develop, learn, and flourish. And be the boss and leader that I’m striving to be.
Heather
PS - I recently did a talk about career growth, and the role of bosses in that. Here's a few things you might find interesting
- Who's in Charge of Your Career - Blog Post for Sage
- Art of Career Development - Presentation for Charity Channel Summit, Oct 2011
