We’re very quick to criticise our bosses, yet, without them, many of us wouldn’t achieve what we do in life. A good boss is someone that coaches and supports you. A great boss sees potential in you that you don’t see in yourself.
This is about a boss that changed my life. If it wasn’t for him I wouldn’t be who I am today. It’s amazing how my boss knew I could achieve more than I did!
When I started doing freelance work in 2001 I was at the airport and got a voice message “I have a huge job for you, please give me a call”. I didn’t expect to be employed but I still went to the interview and was taken through the job description. One requirement was presentations. My immediate reaction was to panic and back off at the mention of presentations. The rest was fine and well within my skill set, but presentations? I wasn’t comfortable with that.
They still brought me on and I was there about two months before getting a call. “I have a big presentation about Tomorrow’s Leading Life Insurer. It’s very technical but a great opportunity for the firm and I feel like you’d be perfect to stand in for me”. I had no idea what Tomorrow’s Leading Life Insurer looked like but said yes. That was my first presentation. I’ve done more presentations now than I can remember, moderating conferences with crowds of over 500 people on stages across the globe and keynote speaking. Without that boss seeing the potential in me, that first presentation and probably most that followed would never have happened.
When correcting my work, there would be so much red pen on the page it looked like a bloodbath. Yet, I learned so much, going on to write thought leadership pieces over 200 pages.
He appreciated the value in me as a different thinker, not fitting the traditional organisation. He stood up for me in the face of critique on my differences and always had my back and gave me the full credit for the work I did. This environment allowed me to thrive and grow.
When he retired, I left the firm. I didn’t believe there would ever be a boss like him. I was right. Leadership and people management skills are severely lacking and underrated with 58% of managers never having received management training (Forbes). Because of this lack of skills, three-out-of-four employees report their boss is the worst and most stressful part of their job and 50% of employees have left roles because of their boss, not their job (Gallup).
Anyone can become a manager if they put in the hours and showcase the skills to get promoted. Yet few put in the time to learn to become true leaders with the ability to influence and propel others to new levels even they don’t know they can reach. This kind of awareness ability to continually seek opportunities on behalf of others and yourself can be learnt and cultivated and is key if you’re wanting to learn how to succeed in business.
Never underestimate yourself and the value of a great boss, they bring out the best in you. We all need someone to bring out the best in us, including bosses themselves! Someone that can support us, uplift us and see the potential in us and sees us as a person. Through life coaching and business coaching, I am now the one to see the potential in so many others that they don’t yet see within themselves.
