What Kind of Boss Are You Going to Be?

Today’s post, “Everything I Know About Business, Started With My Dad”,  is from a friend and former colleague, Kathy Meyer.  This first ran in “Nokia People”, Nokia’s Internal Employee Magazine in August of 2001, Volume 52, Page 34.  It  was her first published article.

Things you should know about Kathy:

• She has an incredibly dry wit and great sense of humor.
• She is extremely intelligent.
• She is one of the hardest workers I know and expects the best not only of herself but of those in her charge.
• She is a teacher as well as a leader; a rare combination in the business world these days.

I hope you enjoy the lesson she is sharing. It’s given me something to think about.

Tami

“Everything I Know About Business, Started With My Dad”

When I was recently promoted, my Dad asked me, “What kind of boss are you going to be?”

He went on to say that you have two choices: you can be “exploitive” or “developmental”.

Exploitive bosses take credit for your work, find ways to get themselves promoted, and are just looking out for themselves. Then there are the rare “developmental” bosses that come along once in a lifetime if you are lucky.

My father spent a career in various companies striving to be a “developmental” boss. He chose to help his employees achieve professional goals. He cared about his employees.

I have worked for more jerks than I have fingers. “Exploitive” is a nice word for them.

I didn’t know the difference until I had a “developmental” boss, Forrest, at Verizon. I spent three years working for this boss and tried to learn everything he had to teach me. He encouraged me, taught me about business, finance, politics, how to negotiate, and made me more valuable to myself and to the company.

Outside of work, he helped me build a new house, get married, and was gracious while I grieved through the loss of my Grandma Horton. He encouraged me to pursue my MBA to get to the next position. This self confidence power boost I brought home and shared with my husband, David. We both have our MBA’s today and we owe it to Forrest for giving us the courage to begin.

I know the difference between “exploitive” boss and a “developmental” boss. I know what actions have made a difference in my world.

Today it’s not fashionable for managers to invest time and effort in their employees, and that’s a tragedy for all of us in the corporate world.

I have a much higher standard for future bosses since the bar was set so high early in my career.

I am looking for a “developmental” boss. Aren’t we all?