What do you remember about your best boss?

What do you remember about your best boss?

Was it something they said or did?

I listened to a great talk this week where the speaker asked us to think about what we remembered about our best boss. Interestingly he asked us to think about a boss we’d had a while back - at least 10 years if possible.

What most of the people in the group found was that they could remember very little about what the boss used to say, a bit more about what they did, but quite a lot about how they made us feel. 

I’ve certainly been a great believer in the saying ‘actions speak louder than words’  in the context of leaders - or indeed anyone.   We all know people who light up a room when they come in - or maybe even when they leave!  

Children learn by copying and we all have a tendency to copy what other people do, rather than do what they say.  It could be that we mirror body language or pick up a verbal tic of someone we admire.  I really try to copy Roger Federer’s backhand at tennis - I can visualize it and I think mine is  probably pretty close.   

But going back to my best boss and how they made me feel I realised it all came down to feeling trusted.  They were always there for guidance if I wanted and I knew I could ask any question without fear of feeling stupid. And that has become the guiding principle for me when deciding who I wanted to work for and with. 

Take a moment to reflect on the best boss you’ve ever worked for - how did they make you feel?  If your current boss doesn’t make you feel like that, have a plan either to talk to them and let them know what you’d like from them, or think about moving on.

I like to help people create a great culture in the workplace. If you want to learn a bit more about how to get the best out of yourself and your team, do get in touch: [email protected]