Be a boss to remember
Do you want to be a boss that your people remember—in a good way ?
One of the most impactful ways to leave your legacy is to embrace gratitude and use gratitude as the cornerstone of how you show up as a leader.
Here are some examples from my career that illustrate bosses I remember:
I remember Robbie, who invested in me and took an active interest in my future even if it seemed ahead of what was in the company’s interest.
I remember Jeff, who every week, met with me to find out how he could help me be successful in my role.
I remember Lawrence, who believed in me by giving me more autonomy than I thought I could handle.
I remember Bruce, who put his reputation on the line when he hired me because HR didn’t think I had enough experience to do the job.
I remember Kirk, who gave me the summer off and kept me on for the rest of the school year so I could take an engineering summer job in the field of my studies.
How do you become a boss to remember ? The common denominator with each of these great bosses is that they cared for me as a person, and I knew it.
So for you, care for your people. And as we discussed back in The blindspot you want to avoid, people don’t know you care if you only express it once so make sure to express your gratitude consistently which reminds your people that you value them as a human being. If you really want to honour the bosses who cared for you, care for your people as a way of “paying it forward” and look for nothing in return, out of gratitude for the bosses you remember.
A few concrete ways to show you care include:
Send them a handwritten note about what you appreciate about them
Spend time with them outside of the office - lunch, customer events
Learn more about their family, personal goals and personal interests
Support them in their career aspirations and invest in them
Use your social capital to support and serve them
Give them opportunities for growth
Provide caring, candid feedback to enable them to learn and grow
Who is a boss you remember and what did they do to be a memorable boss ?
