Since graduating from college in 2004, I’ve worked within 2 organizations and reported to more than 8 bosses. Needless to say, in just 6 years, I’ve seen a lot of leadership. Whether good or bad, each boss taught me valuable lessons in leadership. I’ve blended them together to form 6 guiding principles, which make up my management style today. Below, I briefly describe these principles, which will help you learn what to do and what not to do as a leader in business.
Boss #1: Attitude
My first boss taught me how to maintain composure and handle adversity through keeping a positive and realistic attitude. He taught me that no matter what the circumstance we have the ability to control our reactions. He embodied this principle and it has stuck with me ever since. At that time, the company was in the middle of a major acquisition and my boss’s future at the company was uncertain at best. However, he never let his circumstance affect his ability to lead his team effectively. His positive attitude and composure has made him a very memorable leader in my life and will continue to do so throughout my career.
Boss#2: Communication
My second boss was a little different. At the time, I absolutely loved working for him. He was “the worker’s boss” that everyone could relate to. I was surprised when he didn’t last even a year in the position. Looking back on it, I learned that while he communicated well with his employees on a personal level, he never strived to communicate with us on a professional level. He did not clearly communicate his expectations and as a result, our team lacked organization and never performed at capacity. At his expense, my second boss taught me how and why communicating strategy and clear expectations are valuable to a team’s success.
Boss#3: Discipline
My third boss purely lead by example. He was the “soldier” among all my other bosses, and he was the guy who carried each member on his shoulders. Although he embodied an extreme case of this principle, he taught me how important it is not to only talk the talk but walk the walk as well. Although his micro-management style made the work experience very stressful, he pushed me to deliver bigger results than I had ever expected from myself. He showed me first-hand what it was like to step up and be accountable, something I pride myself on today.
Boss#4: Grace
My fourth boss was a legend within our industry (logistics). Among all of the qualities he possessed, he was undoubtedly the most graceful leader I had the pleasure of working for. Leadership came naturally to him. He always had a quick and insightful comment to offer and his high energy would motivate any meeting he would be involved in. He taught me that leading is also an action and how you perform that action can be done with grace.
Boss#5: Building Relationships
Of all my experiences with different bosses, my fifth boss taught me the most valuable lessons on how not to lead. Although he was a nice person, he was a very poor leader. Among all the negative qualities he possessed, one stood out the most. It was his lack of relationship skills that prevented him from being an effective leader. He did not take an interest in anyone’s personal life nor the struggles they were facing professionally. Instead, he dictated orders to us that were directly passed down from his superiors. There was no passion behind his work and as a result, he led one of the worst performing divisions of the organization. Above all, my fifth boss taught me that to manage employees’ professional lives is not enough. Good managers get to know their employees’ personal interests to better understand and appreciate them.
Boss#6: Fun
My sixth boss was the exact opposite of boss number five. He was all about building personal relationships with his team so that he could inspire them to strive for bigger and better results. His way of establishing strong relationships was with the use of his unique and very witty personality. He showed me that having a good sense of humor is a vital part of being a successful leader and that having fun with coworkers will not only make for a much more enjoyable work experience but will increase productivity. This is something I implement daily to enable a fun and outgoing office environment.
e: jlamendola@goibelieve.com
fb: Joe Lamendola
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