This post is a tribute to my first bosses who were truly providing me leadership mentoring.
One gave me unlimited trust, helped me to develop and focus my result orientation, which on downside made me un-diplomatic and abrasive. The other gave me frank feedback and mentored me on how to be more emphatic, get best out of the team at hand and accept to be happy with “better now” rather than being unhappy with “should be perfect”. Most of all both mentored me in how active development of soft skills in one’s team can multiply effects of the raw talent and wits.
Those two bosses were prime example of leadership mentoring. They put me on the trajectory which brought me to be the CFO of largest Croatian companies and now, a successful coach… And I can never thank them enough!
In the beginning of career having the right boss is more important than money or prestige… if you have the right boss with a little patience everything else will fall in place…
What to look for in a first boss
- Empathy
- When a boss can show empathy to an employee, it creates a deep connection of trust. Employees want to stick around because they know they will be understood, motivated, and appreciated.
- Trust
Empathy and trust are closely tied. When a boss trusts, it is an act of retention because the employee feels he or she will be valued and not overlooked. - Loyalty
A terrible boss sends the employee up a river without a paddle. Or even a canoe. A great boss is loyal because he or she knows what the employee really needs. We all want to work for someone who trusts us and wants us to achieve great things. And, we hate working for someone who steals the credit or doesn’t have our best interests in mind. - Discernment
The best bosses in the world are discerning. They know how to make smart decisions, and we all know when that isn’t the case–the “dumb” boss who makes random decisions without thinking is not someone who can retain employees. If anything, they flee in all directions. - Insight
Closely linked to discernment is this idea of providing insight in the workplace. We all want to be around people like that. It’s like a constant brainstorming session when you have an insightful boss. - Character
A lying boss is a terrible boss. Who can trust someone like that? Yet, when the boss sticks to the plan, follows up with action, handles conflict, and jumps into problems on behalf of the team, it reveals character. - Reward
Let’s be honest, a great boss is someone who rewards good work performance. This is not a volunteer effort. Yet, we’re not talking about compensation as a primary motivator. A great boss rewards with words of encouragement and affirmation, with a clear explanation, and with communication that makes the employee feel valued. - Relationship
I’m convinced a great boss knows how to be relationship-driven. The first question you hear when you return from vacation is not–when will you finish that project? It’s always–did you get a tan? It’s a keen awareness that you’re a person and have a life outside of work. - Honor
Honor is not just something you show in the military or formal settings. A boss can show honor to an employee. The word literally means esteem. - Conviction
One last “best boss” trait is conviction. A great boss sticks to the plan. Employees love that because a shifting purpose and an evolving (or revolving) set of ideas puts them on edge. They never know what to expect. We might put up with inconsistencies with family members, but when a boss is wishy-washy, we start looking for an exit plan.
If you already are a boss… Keep being a great boss… Hard to find, difficult to part with and impossible to forget…Više o leadership mentoringu na Miroslav Klepac | LinkedIn
Više o executive coachingu u Expertive d.o.o. na Coaching u Expertivu – Expertive
