“A good boss is a person who isn’t worried about their own career but rather the careers of those who work for them.”—H.S.M Burns
An article in The Huffington Post written by Dr. Travis Bradberry clearly articulates the above quote. How many times have you heard or read that “people don’t leave bad jobs; they leave bad bosses”? You’ve probably heard it so many times that you don’t pay attention to its importance anymore. The critical takeaway is that it does matter. It matters to the bottom line and it matters to the talented people who are being driven away. A bad boss never has the opportunity to turn talent into performance. A good boss “sees more possibilities in people than they see in themselves and helps them see it too.”
Studies have concluded that 61% of people working for ineffective bosses feel that this person is detrimental to their happiness and success at work and that they were actively job hunting. A troubling finding is that these people sometimes felt the need to lie at work, a clear connection of how a bad boss can bring out the worst in people. Dr. Bradberry says that people tend to describe bad bosses in terms of emotional intelligence using phrases like “lacks passion, insight and honesty.”
If your goal is to be an exceptional leader reflect on what Dr. Bradberry says below.
A great boss:
- Shares information to empower their team
- Puts a lot of thought into hiring and looks for a person who will complement the team
- Looks for and celebrates wins to let their people feel valued and appreciated
- Respects their team’s time
- Is empathetic
- Holds themselves accountable
- Says thank you
- Remembers that people have a life outside of work
- Is a great communicator—no need to read between the lines
- Creates leaders
If you are a sales leader is this how your team would describe you? If not, you and your team have a lot to lose.
