Looking back over my career in business management, I can recall a variety of bosses and leaders. Some were very poor leaders which I recall as mere ‘bosses’, while others were fantastic leaders that enriched my life for years to come.
I have very fond memories of the truly great leaders. I am eternally grateful for the life changing leadership skills I learned and all the wonderful experiences I had while in their employ. A multitude of fun times and endless pats on the back are some of my favorite memories. As part of their team, we constantly strove to be the best (and we were!). Outstanding business performance was a natural side effect of those great leaders. We all felt like valued members of a rare 'superstar' team. We appreciated every minute of it of those lessons and experiences!
As far as the “bosses” (or sub-standard leaders), when I recall them, a sour taste creeps into my mouth. It is amazing how the sour taste is just as strong today - many years later. I remember the unpleasantness of working 70 to 80 hours a week while they worked barely 40. I can also recall with crystal clarity, constantly being redirected without a clear vision and feeling that I was never good enough. Sadly, I can still evoke the overwhelming feeling of dread that came just prior to working a long endless day. That said, even with all that negatively, I learned plenty of very important information regarding how NOT to act as a leader.
It is interesting to note that there is a segment of leaders that I can barely recall. These leaders make up the segment of middle-of-the-road, blah and completely mediocre supervisors. Strangely, these folks only exist in some hazy memory. I even have trouble recalling some of their names. It is thought provoking to realize that being average or barely passable makes you completely forgettable.
We have all worked for a wide variety of leadership and we all have our favorite memories, but I think it is interesting to note how various leaders impacted our lives along the way. It is also intriguing to ponder which memories our brains chose to retain along the journey.
The moral to this story is: if you want to live on in the memories of your employees, don’t be mediocre, barely passable, or just another “boss”. Strive to be remembered in a positive way, as a leader who was strong and caring. Be one of the leaders that taught life changing skills, had fun, hired great talent, created a powerful team, and took pride in being the best!
Your leadership leaves behind a legacy that lives on for a long time… good, bad, or otherwise.
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