characteristics of a good boss essay

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TOEFL® Resources by Michael Goodine

Sample toefl multiple choice essay – qualities of a good boss, the question.

The people we work with have many different characteristics and all of them affect the quality of our time at work. Of the following, what do you think is the most important quality for a boss or supervisor to have?  

• a serious attitude about their work
• a lot of related experience
• a tendency to always tell the truth

You may choose more than one. Use specific details and examples in your answer.

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The Sample Essay

          People today spend an enormous amount of time at their workplace, and how much they enjoy that time really depends on the attributes of their supervisor. I am of the opinion that there are two main characteristics of a good boss, which are his attitude and his experience. I will explore these two factors in the following essay.

          First of all, we are more likely to learn from a supervisor who is very experienced in their field.  When we are just starting out in our career we absorb new information like sponges, and even older workers can learn from supervisors who have a lot of related experience.  My own personal history is a compelling example of this. When I began working as a teacher ten years ago, my supervisor, Simon, had been working in education for more than ten years.  I was just out of college and knew very little about creating effective lesson plans, engaging with students or even how to complete my paperwork. Simon took the time to show me what he had learned over the previous decade, and therefore I was soon able to keep up with my office mates.  In contrast, when I moved to a new school earlier this year, my supervisor actually had less experience teaching than I did. Moreover, when I struggled with certain aspects of my job, he couldn’t suggest ways to improve. As a result, my professional development slowed down.

          Secondly, a serious boss is more likely to maintain a positive office environment.  This is because they encourage the people under them to act professionally. For instance, my sister once told me that her first job was difficult because of how toxic her office was.  Workers often gossiped, tried to avoid doing their duties and even arrived late. This was acceptable because most of the supervisors in the firm behaved in the exact same way. My sister was miserable because she prides herself on her diligence and her ability to complete her tasks with care and enthusiasm.  If her bosses had been more serious, this would not have happened.

          In conclusion, I believe that experience and seriousness are the hallmarks of a good supervisor.  This is because we can learn a lot from a knowledgeable boss, and because employees strive to emulate a supervisor who acts with professionalism. (387 words)

This is a sample TOEFL independent essay written by a TOEFL expert.  It follows our TOEFL writing templates  for independent essays.  If it is useful, please remember that we have  many more sample essays  for you to read!

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Writing an Effective Leadership Essay: Tips and Examples

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Whether you’ve led a horse to water or led your team to a victorious championship, you’re probably more of a leader than you give yourself credit for. It turns out, college admissions officers want to hear about that horse and/or championship in your application essay. The leadership essay is one of the hallmarks of college essays, but what’s the right way to do it?

What Is a Leadership Essay?

A leadership essay is a subset of college application essays that help college admissions officers understand your previous experiences as a leader. While that might seem extremely specific, it comes with the understanding that leadership looks and feels different based on the person and situation.

To give you a real world example: The president is ostensibly the leader of the United States. However, the president has a whole cabinet of other leaders for every other aspect of running a country. You might not be a leader of foreign policy, but you might be a leader on the football field or within your community volunteer group.

Leadership Essay Ideas and Topics

While you might see a few variations, almost all leadership essays go back to two main forms:

• What is your leadership style?
• Describe a moment when you showed leadership.

There’s inherently a bit of overlap with both of these. You’ll likely give an example of a leadership moment when talking about your leadership style, and you’ll probably talk about your leadership style when talking about a leadership moment.

In either case, the school will want you to use anecdotal evidence that demonstrates the idea. Go with what feels right, whether that’s leading a club or team in school or leading some ducklings across a busy highway. Even if your experience sounds cliché, it’s unique because it involves you.

How To Write a Leadership Essay

Probably the biggest trap that people fall into is “Well, I’ve never been a leader.” Even if you’ve never held some sort of leadership position at school or had an official title, chances are pretty high that you have exhibited some form of leadership at some point in your life. Beyond that, the actual writing of the leadership essay is fairly straightforward.

Formatting Your Leadership Essay

Your leadership essay will include an introduction paragraph, one or more body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Depending on the word or page limits, you can almost treat this like a five-paragraph essay .

• Introduction - Capture the reader’s interest, define good leadership in relation to you, and directly address the given prompt
• Body paragraphs - Give some background information using anecdotes to describe your leadership style or moment
• Conclusion - End with a compelling statement about your leadership qualities and how you hope to apply them to your education, career, and the world in general

How Long Should a Leadership Essay Be?

The length of the leadership essay depends on what the college or application system says. Thankfully, this is the one part of the essay that you don’t need to question. Nearly every school will provide a word limit, typically ranging from 250 words (for supplemental essays) potentially all the way up to 1,000 words.

In the rare event that you don’t see an obvious word limit, stick to a maximum of about 500 to 600 words.

Tips for Writing a Leadership Essay

Unfortunately, we don’t know your personal life, and we certainly don’t know moments where you exhibited leadership. So we can’t write your essay for you, but we can give you some tips to at least guide your writing process.

Define Good Leadership Before You Start

Before you begin writing your essay, think about what qualities make someone a good leader, at least in your opinion. What great leadership qualities do you have? What makes a “good leader”? Make a list before you begin writing your essay. 

Leadership qualities can include:

• The ability to motivate others
• Personal integrity
• Placing a value on relationships with team members
• Prioritizing the larger good over any individual

Review your list and choose the qualities you want to highlight. Write your own definition of what makes someone a great leader as it relates to the quality you chose. It should be one or two sentences long. Use that definition as the backbone of your essay.

Tell a Story About Your Leadership

It’s time to turn that list of potential leadership qualities into something meaningful and interesting. The best way to do that is with an engaging narrative.

You should obviously state good leadership qualities, but that shouldn’t be your entire essay. Tell a story about your leadership.

• Did you face a specific challenge?
• How did you overcome that challenge?
• How has your leadership style changed over the years?
• Was there a specific moment or experience that caused that change?

Really ask yourself questions and dig into the concept of leadership as a real thing that has had real effects on your life.

Write With Your Own Voice and Style

Although you shouldn’t be super informal in college application essays, they are also designed to help you display your own voice and personality. College admissions officers want to learn about you, and your writing style is inherently a big part of that, whether that means using humor or puns, maintaining a unique level of sincerity throughout the essay, or being invitingly verbose.

Don’t Be Down On Yourself

Whether it’s your personal statement , a supplemental essay, or this leadership essay, avoid being too down on yourself. Admissions officers want to hear about all your successes, trophies, and kittens saved from trees. They really don’t want to read a whole essay about you saying you’re a bad leader.

Humility is definitely an important leadership trait, but there’s a fine line between being humble and being hurtful to yourself. Even if you’re normally prone to some self-deprecation, try to keep it at a minimum for this essay.

Leadership Essay Example

If you’re not sure where to start, take some time to brainstorm ideas. Even the weirdest idea can blossom into something neat. If you need inspiration, one of the best things is to look at other examples of leadership. That could be from your favorite show, a good nonfiction book about sailors, or the essay below.

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Leadership Essay Introduction Example

The introduction should pull the reader in while directly answering the prompt. When in doubt, try to start with something concrete over something abstract. Or as writers and writing teachers like to say: Show, don’t tell.

The room was filled with the gentle hum of microphones and video cameras, cut only by the occasional cough or cleared throat. It was easy to feel out of place in this room full of wood furniture, leather seats, and powerful men capable of changing not just my life, but an entire sector of television programming as we knew it. I had never thought of myself as a leader, but I also knew that this was about something bigger than me, something that I could actually influence.

Leadership Essay Body Example

The body is where you’ll get more into the details of your narrative and connect it to ideas of leadership. Try not to get too hung up on the exact wording of what makes a leader. That can get far too abstract. Let your story speak for you.

I took a deep breath and began to talk. I wasn’t known to have a particularly commanding or powerful voice, but people always seemed to listen, including these men with their name placards and tall seats. They had been ready to cut funding for public broadcasting, which included programming that they had never seen. I was simply someone who lived in a neighborhood and cared about children’s education, beyond just math and reading. All I could do was be honest.

Leadership Essay Conclusion Example

Your conclusion considers the broader effects of your leadership. How might your leadership evolve or change? How can you apply that leadership to your education, job, or community?

To me, leadership is about connection. I know that I have a voice and an immense dedication to emotional intelligence in children. My ability to focus on other people goes hand-in-hand with my ability to speak through a tiger puppet. Both are about closing gaps and bringing people closer to a basic understanding. I hope to use my leadership abilities within the field of psychology to build more connections between people and communities.

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Mastering leadership: 10 must-have traits of great bosses

You could probably pinpoint the top traits of a rotten boss at the drop of a hat, right?

Everyone’s had one of those.

The arrogant show-off who takes credit for your hard work. The obsessive perfectionist who has to re-do everything you just did, twice. And then the one who’s just plain mean. You can’t change how they manage. But you can make sure you don’t repeat their mistakes when you’re in charge.

So what are the top traits of a great boss? It’s not difficult to offer up a few surface-level suggestions.

Cheerful demeanor. Lets you leave early on Fridays. Takes you to lunch when you achieve your goals.

But what about the things that really make a difference, that inspire employees to work harder, dream bigger and band together to drive a business to success?

Naming those is a bigger challenge, which is why we’ve enlisted our team here at Insperity for help.

Here’s what a few of them had to say when asked, “What’s the most important characteristic of a great boss ?”

Without honesty, there’s no trust.  Without trust, what do you have? Honest communication helps navigate roadblocks, provides clear direction and allows employees to have better confidence in their leader and the company. Integrity should be included along with honesty, as those two traits go hand-in-hand.

Dawn Motsiff, Senior Human Resource Advisor

2. The ability to mentor staff and provide resources

Managers strive to hire employees who are already skilled in the requirements of their positions. Seldom does a manager need to teach employees how to do their jobs, but rather they are tasked with aligning employees with the company and its culture. That often includes how things are done in the position, specific to company processes. When a manager provides the coaching necessary for successful execution of their roles, employees are far more capable, more willing to seek help when necessary and better able to identify and correct errors and problems than if they’re left to figure things out on their own.

Insperity Staff, Senior Human Resource Advisor

3. The ability to motivate

It’s important for a supervisor to be able to not only motivate teams to reach a productive outcome, but also to be able to motivate individual employees. That means they need to listen for what may interest their employees, effectively identify and capitalize on their strengths and partner with them to help them find opportunities for growth.

4. A high EQ (emotional intelligence)

In today’s transitioning workplace, having a high EQ is the most important trait of a good boss. Bosses must be able to discern between their own personal beliefs and the thoughts and beliefs of others, and other generations (boomers, Gen X, xennials, millennials and now Gen Z). This is ideal when it comes to leading and motivating staff to achieve, and directly ties into the psychology of goal attainment.

Abe Turner, Manager, Brand Advancement

Employees need to trust their boss to have their best professional interests at heart (of course in combination with the best interests of the company). Bosses must trust their employees to make the best choices they know how to make, to ask questions when they are unsure and to have the best interests of the company at heart.

Insperity Staff, Technical Consultant

6. The willingness to deliver open and honest feedback

All of us have weaknesses and room for growth, but many will never recognize this unless it is brought to light by someone else. Too often, we are silent when we see room for growth in others, for fear of hurting someone’s feelings. However, bosses are usually in the best place to see and speak to these weaknesses. It’s always best that they share this information, and share it as soon as they see it, so their employees have the opportunity to grow.

Leslie Lockhart, Manager, Recruiting Services

7. The ability to inspire

A great boss is someone who inspires their employees to be their best selves. They should be able to identify their employees’ best qualities and bring them out. Additionally, they should pinpoint growth opportunities, share them in a constructive manner and help develop a plan for improvement.

Keith Mishler, Human Resource Consultant

8. Self-awareness

The most important skill a leader can have today is self-awareness. This may seem simple, but just because someone has a title doesn’t mean they intuitively know how to lead people.  Leadership requires understanding that employees can be motivated differently, and that what personally drives them might not drive others. For example, a leader might love public recognition and, therefore, rewards employees in a public forum with crowds of people in attendance. It’s important to recognize there may be folks on the team who prefer a much different approach. Perhaps an email to the CEO expressing their accomplishments — quiet, yet powerful. Leaders must remember everyone is motivated differently, and the decision to be engaged is in the heart, not the mind.

Insperity Staff, Managing Director, Consulting and Development

9. The willingness to learn what employees need

We all have two kinds of needs, practical and personal. Our practical needs are ways to track our progress and agree on a level of performance, while our personal needs are to feel valued, involved and supported. Any boss who understands this, and takes care of each employee’s needs, will be a fantastic boss.

Bonnie Monych, Performance Specialist

10. Compassion

Great leaders are compassionate when praising success or addressing challenges. They know compassion is expressed verbally and non-verbally. They can sense the emotions going on around them. They understand that the demands on employees go beyond the organization. There is an awareness that every employee fulfills multiple roles inside and outside an organization. They realize each employee interaction can impact the work relationship. They understand that accountability can still be expected while maintaining a high level of compassion.

Michael Timmes, Human Resource Consultant

Summing it up

Fostering within yourself traits like these 10 can help strengthen your leadership skills and encourage your employees to do their best work.

That makes for a happier workforce and, ultimately, a more successful business. Everybody wins.

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8 Essential Qualities of Successful Leaders

• Rebecca Knight

And how to cultivate them.

Becoming a great leader is a journey of continuous learning and growth. It’s a process — one that thrives on embracing challenges, seeking feedback, fostering connections, and cultivating understanding. In this article, the author outlines the eight most essential leadership qualities, according to Harvard Business School professor Linda Hill, one of the world’s top experts on leadership. Star leaders aren’t born with superhuman capabilities, Linda explains. Rather, they tend to have intentionally put themselves in situations where they have to learn, adapt, and grow — a crucible for developing the tenacity and fortitude to motivate and guide others.

Do you have what it takes to be a great leader ?

• RK Rebecca Knight is a journalist who writes about all things related to the changing nature of careers and the workplace. Her essays and reported stories have been featured in The Boston Globe, Business Insider, The New York Times, BBC, and The Christian Science Monitor. She was shortlisted as a Reuters Institute Fellow at Oxford University in 2023. Earlier in her career, she spent a decade as an editor and reporter at the Financial Times in New York, London, and Boston.

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25 Qualities of a Good Boss

A good boss is one of the essential elements in any business as they set the tone for the rest of the team and can make or break a company’s success. A bad boss can cause stress and frustration within an office and can also harm productivity, morale, and even retention rates. Managerial candidates often ask us, “What are the leading qualities of a good boss?” so we asked leading career counselors, resume writers, HR professionals, CEOs, and career coaches for their advice.

Everyone wants to work for a good boss that does the right things, but what does it mean to be a good boss? Here are qualities that every good manager with direct reports needs.

Characteristics of a Good Boss

Based on feedback from over 50 leaders that responded to our query, these are the most important qualities of good bosses.

1. Transparency

Good bosses are straight shooters who don’t hide behind closed doors or play power games with their employees. A great leader is transparent about the company’s status, financials, and plans with the entire team. If anything affects an employee’s job at hand, it should be communicated immediately with clear expectations so that the employee can decide accordingly.

McKenna Sweazey, a remote and hybrid management work expert  focusing on Digital Empathy, agrees.

Transparency is the most important quality in a remote manager as remote teams leave a lot of room for asynchronous, hidden information.  Asymmetric knowledge drives a wedge between managers, colleagues, and regions. Committing to more transparent knowledge distribution takes bandwidth from other projects, but culture and team synergy disintegrate without it. Great managers prioritize the time, processes, and technology necessary to disseminate information equitably. Transparency also applies to business strategy. Working remotely can at times be a lonely experience, but for employees who have a clear understanding of what they are working towards, it’s easier to stay committed and engaged.

2. Communicates Effectively

A great manager has effective communication skills. They can clearly explain what needs to be done in different situations and convey their expectations without making anyone feel inferior or superior. A good communicator also knows how to listen well to understand what others are saying before responding with his own opinion or solution.

Dave Rietsema, the Founder and CEO of Matchr.com and a former HR Professional with more than ten years of experience helping companies find the best HR software , suggests the following.

Good managers can communicate feedback in such a way that they know what to do to improve while also not feeling discouraged . It’s important for a manager to be good at choosing their words carefully in order to convey the right message to their employees so that negative feedback is a learning opportunity instead of discouraging them. A good manager should also be able to communicate their knowledge in order to help their employees grow and improve. Good communication also means being transparent and honest as well as knowing when to listen . Employees should feel comfortable communicating in return, especially if they need help or if there is a problem.

3. Is Consistent With Decisions

Great bosses should have both consistency and fairness in their management style. Their decisions should be consistent over time and across situations but fair. Unfortunately, bad bosses will change the rules depending on who they’re dealing with.

A good boss understands that consistency leads to trust and confidence in the workplace, resulting in better performance. When you’re consistent with your decisions, people will respect and trust you regardless of whether or not they agree with each decision.

4. Shows Appreciation for Hard Work and Results

The best bosses are the ones who show appreciation for their employee’s hard work and results. They understand that their team’s success results from everyone’s efforts. When employees feel appreciated, they are more productive and put in the extra effort. Bosses who appreciate their employees’ hard work create a positive work environment and help build a strong team.

Eva Chung with Advantis Global, a leading IT Staffing agency , shared the following with Matchbuilt.

Show appreciation to humanize the relationship . In remote settings, it’s hard to show appreciation because communication and physical interactions are limited. If there is a budget, send a periodic gift card, treat, birthday present, or even an email shout-out . It’s important to celebrate small wins and show your team that their work is being noticed and recognized. Most people look for fulfillment and acknowledgment in their work.

5. Coaches Up the Team

Coaching is more than just training, though the training is an integral part of it. It’s about understanding the big picture and helping employees become better at what they do through feedback and guidance. It’s about recognizing potential and encouraging development so employees can reach their full potential as professionals and people. It’s also about creating an environment where everybody wins because everyone supports their success both professionally and personally.

Gerrid Smith, the Director of E-commerce of Joy Organics and featured in INC.com, Forbes.com, Entrepreneur.com, and CIO.com, shared the following.

Coaching is one of the most useful things that a manager can do for the people of their team, and it is one of the things that they can do for them. The most successful managers consider themselves not just leaders but also coaches, whose primary responsibilities are to inspire and motivate their staff . This mindset is what allows them to be so effective. They are aware of the emotional well-being of their employees and lead by setting an example in this regard themselves. They are able to identify situations in which training is required and then offer it in a manner that causes as little disturbance as is humanly possible.

6. Show Concern for Others

Every good boss is aware of their employees and their needs. If you want to be a great boss, it’s essential to be in tune with every aspect of your employees’ struggles at work. You want to look out for your team members and do everything you can to ensure they’re working in the best possible environment, which means knowing what they need and are struggling with.

Employees who feel like their boss cares about them are likelier to go above and beyond for the company. They will be more likely to work hard and be productive .

Josh Pelletier, the Chief Marketing Officer of BarBend, a media outlet created to help people live stronger, healthier lifestyles , shared the following with us.

As an expert, I am convinced that competent managers should greet their staff and inquire about their well-being . They are accessible to all employees and give their whole attention anytime employees require assistance. Good managers are also personally invested in the lives of their employees. They consistently show their appreciation for their staff, which aids them in recognizing their genuine conduct. This also enhances the employee’s level of devotion to the work being completed.

7. Resolves Conflicts Effectively

Conflicts are inevitable in any organization, but handling these situations can determine your success as a leader. Resolving conflicts effectively means resolving disputes amicably and not affecting work performance or relationships between coworkers or subordinates. You can do this by showing the involved parties how to compromise and not letting the conflict get personal. However, this doesn’t mean that you should be lax when enforcing discipline and clarifying misperceptions because sometimes a conflict can get out of hand if not handled properly.

Martin Carreon, the owner of Soco Wine Country Properties , believes conflict resolution is also a key trait.

It’s important for a manager or a boss to have strong conflict resolution skills to resolve any conflicts that arise with team members due to multiple personalities. Understanding how to settle the conflict and mediate conflicts in a way that makes everyone feel appreciated is critical for keeping projects on track and morale high. Conflict management skills, like other communication skills , must be learned and exercised by every manager. Underlying problems of a workspace are often revealed in the course of a conflict resolution discussion. A good manager takes into account his employee’s feelings and actively listens to his employees to make them feel better.

8. Delegates Effectively

A good leader knows how to delegate effectively. They recognize when something needs to be done and assign it to the right person, and they are confident in their employees’ skills and abilities.

Kristina Knight, a freelance writer and editor at the BizReport , with more than 15 years of experience writing about business and marketing subjects, shared the following with MatchBuilt.

Great bosses have to learn to delegate and have to find that next hustler to help them keep all of the balls in the air and the department moving forward.

9. Emotional Intelligence

Emotional intelligence is the capacity to recognize, interpret, and respond appropriately to emotions, both your own and others. You also need to recognize when someone has an emotional reaction, how it will affect them, and how it will affect the situation. Unlike a boss who makes an employee feel incompetent , when you possess emotional intelligence, you can manage your emotions effectively to not affect how you work or deal with other employees.

Ioana Sima, the Chief Marketing Officer at TextMagic, a company that provides text message software for businesses , shared the following expert insight on emotional intelligence.

65% of executives said they would prefer a better boss over a higher salary. This tells us one thing: a good boss is someone with a high emotional IQ , who can tackle human interaction in all its diversity and is also great at their job. How does someone achieve that? Through self-knowledge, empathy, and the right skill set for their professional role.

10. Shows Empathy for Others and Caring a Bit

With empathy and simply caring a bit , you can put yourself in someone else’s shoes and understand how they’re feeling. Even if you can’t get inside their head, you can at least realize that they’re feeling something, and that’s worth considering before making any big decisions.

By demonstrating empathy towards other people, you’ll be a good example and role model and develop an open environment where people feel comfortable coming to you with issues or problems at work. In return, you’ll receive more candid feedback from your employees. They will know that if something goes wrong with their job, there’s someone there who genuinely wants to help them correct it.

The New York Times explores this further in their article Bosses: Consider Caring a Bit.

Blame their parents, but surveys indicate that employees in their 20s and 30s want to work for companies whose purpose extends beyond profit-making. They value companies that have a positive impact on society, show a commitment to a diverse and inclusive workforce, and are focused on issues such as pay equity and the environment.

11. Encourages Others

The best boss encourages others to be their best selves. They see potential in everyone they work with, even if it’s hard for others to see it themselves. They encourage employees to think outside the box, take risks, and do things differently than before, which will help them grow professionally over time.

Karolina Zając, a Community Manager at Passport Photo Online , shared her insight on the topic.

A good boss is one who encourages employees to advance their skills and provides growth opportunities . It’s vital for young professionals, who make up the most significant part of the current workforce. But, it’s also beneficial for employers who gain a team of trained, loyal employees.

12. Sets Realistic Expectations

Setting realistic expectations regularly is an essential skill for any boss, and it helps guide your employees to achieve their goals while staying on track with your company’s goals. There are two components to this skill: first, figuring out what expectations are fair and reasonable, and second, communicating those expectations clearly and concisely so each staff member is moving in the right direction. The more specific your expectations are, the less likely your employees will make mistakes or misunderstand what they’re supposed to be working on.

Trevor Larson, the CEO and Founder of Nectar, an employee recognition HR software company that helps teams and businesses of all sizes unlock the power of employee recognition, shared the following with us.

A good boss is someone who is able to give clear instructions and expectations and is available to answer questions and give guidance when needed. They create a positive work environment by encouraging their employees and celebrating their successes. A good boss is also fair and treats all of their employees equally.

13. Humbleness

It’s common for leaders to assume that being humble means not having any confidence in themselves or their abilities. While it’s true that a big ego can cause problems, an individual can be confident without being arrogant or brash. Pride is much different from confidence, and the two don’t always go hand in hand. Pride can be dangerous if it causes you to overestimate your abilities and overlook your flaws.

14. Provides Clear Feedback

As a leader, you want your employees to know what needs improvement , where they are doing well, and how they can move forward in their careers. Constructive feedback doesn’t just benefit the employee; it helps improve the organization by ensuring everyone is on the same page and meeting goals.

Feedback should be delivered professionally and objectively based on positive or negative facts. Handling criticism gracefully will help your employees accept and learn from constructive criticism, leading to improved performance. It’s important to keep in mind that constructive feedback isn’t only given during a performance review and should be a routine element of your leadership style.

Amie Devero, the President of Beyond Better Strategy and Coaching, an executive-level consulting and coaching firm , reaffirms feedback’s importance.

Even great bosses need to correct mistakes, fix failures, or address poor performance. But again, there is a choice. Bad bosses attack the person’s character, generalize about their ability, and provide little useful feedback to improve.

15. Creates a Fun Work Environment

A good boss creates opportunities for professional growth and an environment where work is fun. They know how to make the office a place where you want to be, and they do so in a way that’s still productive for their business.

In work environments with an overall positive atmosphere, employees are more likely to perform well and be comfortable with their jobs. This makes the job easier for the boss because the workers will put in the extra effort.

Philip Pasma, President of Asterisk Marketing , agrees that a good boss should create a fun work environment.

A good boss ensures a fun work environment, which grows satisfaction and loyalty among the employees . Also, it takes the pressure off the employees and allows them to focus on their work better.

16. Motivates the Team

True leaders have to be able to encourage their team members to keep working even when things get difficult. A good boss will make their employees feel like they are part of something bigger than just themselves. They will also help their team members achieve their goals by providing them with opportunities to grow in their careers. A good boss also motivates their team by giving feedback, compensation benefits, and bonuses for work done well.

17. Sets Clear Goals

When you give employees clear instructions and the goals of the organization , they can adequately assess their projects and deadlines and stay focused on the most important things. If they need help or clarification on the common goal, they can come to you immediately.

If you don’t set clear goals for them to achieve, it forces your employees to guess what their jobs entail. This can lead to mistakes or miscommunication, which is the last thing you want from people working for you.

When you have open lines of communication with your employees and know their job descriptions well, a lot of stress gets taken off your shoulders because things flow smoothly around the office without a problem.

Vartika Kashyap, the Chief Marketing Officer at ProofHub, a leading team collaboration tool , offers more insight into goal setting.

Employees are empowered to create their own goals in a new goal-setting trend. This gives employees more control over their objectives, resulting in more work being completed. All good managers recognize the need to set clear and realistic expectations, eliminating any uncertainty . Overtly defining goals is one method to do this. Good managers may set realistic goals and devise tactics to achieve them. Setting attainable goals is one strategy that employs defined, quantifiable, actionable, relevant, and time-based objectives that can be easily translated into practical strategies.

18. Has an Open Door Policy

As a boss, you want to be an approachable and accessible person. This means having a workplace free of barriers—for your employees. Having an open-door policy means that your employees can approach you when they need to without feeling intimidated by their boss’ status or authority. It also allows them to express their concerns freely and know they can do so without reprimanding. In addition, it makes you seem more human and friendly rather than distant or inaccessible.

19. Is Open to New Ideas and Opinions

Having an open mind is a must when working in today’s business environment. Open-minded bosses live and breathe innovation, which means they’re always willing to try new ways to tackle challenges. A good leader will welcome suggestions and input from their subordinates, allowing the boss to get a fresh perspective on things they may have overlooked.

On the other hand, a closed-minded manager may seem rigid or cold. These managers are known for being set in their ways and valuing routine over change. Their reluctance to innovate can cause problems regarding morale and productivity among employees. Employees are less likely to feel inspired if they’re not given opportunities to grow and contribute.

Shahzaib Arshad, the Co-founder, and Editor of TheBalanceWork , shared the following regarding idea-sharing with MatchBuilt.

A good boss is someone who can inspire creativity and new ideas in the workplace . In today’s era of remote working, it’s more important than ever to keep your employees motivated and focused on their work. One way to do this is to encourage creativity and new ideas. A good boss will create an environment where employees feel comfortable sharing their ideas and provide feedback that helps improve those ideas. Additionally, a good boss will be open to new ways of doing things and always look for ways to improve the workplace. By creating a creative and innovative workplace, a good boss can help to ensure that their employees are always engaged and productive.

20. Is Well Organized

Among other leadership qualities , a good boss is well-organized. Good bosses stay on top of the details and juggle them effectively . They have a system for their work and make sure that the people around them are organized.

Organization requires mental agility and a willingness to be flexible with your methods. If you’re the boss and you’re disorganized, it can be difficult for your people to be organized.

21. Shows Passion for the Work

When you do the work you love, it shows in your attitude and your performance—and that enthusiasm is infectious . Good bosses bring that positive energy to the workplace and encourage their employees to share it.

22. Promotes from Within

When promoting from within, you show your employees that they are valued. Internal promotions will be an incentive for employees to stay with you long-term , and it will also send the message that you trust your employees to handle responsibility. A promotion like this can be a gesture of appreciation for a valued employee’s hard work and excellent performance.

23. Gives Recognition

A good boss makes sure to recognize those who do good work. They will offer praise when an employee does something well . Also, they will give employee recognition to team members who work together well to achieve goals. Positive recognition can come in a variety of ways. A simple certificate, award, or lunch is sometimes all it takes to make your employees feel appreciated.

24. Take Responsibility

A good boss with excellent leadership skills takes responsibility for their actions and their team. It’s easy for people to blame other factors or circumstances when a project doesn’t turn out the way they hoped.

Nothing will make your employees doubt whether you’re a good boss than making excuses for mistakes. If something goes wrong and it was your fault, come clean about it and take responsibility. You may lose some credibility with someone who isn’t accustomed to this, but holding yourself accountable for every failure will encourage them to be more responsible.

25. Instill Trust

Trust is essential to any relationship, including between employee and manager. The best managers will instill trust because they want their employees to be motivated, engaged, and productive. Employees who aren’t confident that their leaders are acting in their best interests may become frustrated or demotivated.

Also, trust increases loyalty. When people trust their bosses, they are more likely to stick with them through thick and thin rather than move jobs every few months or years. This helps companies retain valued staff, so you don’t have to recruit and train new employees – resulting in higher turnover costs.

Jacob Udodov, the Founder and the CEO of Bordio, a project and task management platform , shares the following with MatchBuilt.

A great boss trusts their employees to do a good job and doesn’t use micromanagement to control every aspect of their job. Instead, a good boss builds a self-sufficient team who can work independently , while they take care of strategic and important tasks/issues. At the same time, such bosses are available should their team need help, and they wouldn’t use it against their employees to mock them for being incapable to do the job.

Why is it Important to be a Good Boss?

To understand why being a good boss is so important, you don’t have to look much further than recent shocking statistics about how bad bosses are crushing employee happiness.

• The No. 1 reason employees are frustrated with their managers is because of unclear communication (31%), followed by micromanagement (27%) and favoritism of other employees (27%).
• Fewer than 1 in 3 workers (32%) say they are expected to respond to employer communication only during normal business hours. The rest are expected to respond before or after work hours, on weekends, or during paid time off.
• Nearly 1 in 5 employees (19%) say they experience personal attacks or unkind remarks from their managers.
• Nearly half of workers (46%) say discrimination, prejudice, and harassment are problems at their workplace.
• Employees cite pay gaps (35%), racism (33%), and sexism (30%) as the three most common issues.
• Although 1 in 3 workers (31%) spend more than four hours a day in meetings, about 1 in 5 (19%) feel uncomfortable taking breaks because their employers may view them as unproductive.
• 1 in 8 employees (13%) say their employer explicitly discourages them from taking breaks.
• About 70% of Americans who work in an office would prefer to work remotely at least some of the time.
• About half of full-time remote workers (47%) do not want to return to an office.
• Although a majority of employees (51%) report more than 15 days of paid time off, about half (49%) use 10 days or fewer each year.
• Roughly half of the employees (48%) don’t use all of their PTO because they are concerned it will have a negative impact on their careers.
• Nearly 1 in 10 workers (9%) don’t receive any PTO. Of those who don’t have PTO, a majority (56%) say it negatively impacts their mental health , and 40% say it causes negative emotions toward their employers.
• Only 24% of employees are offered at least the 12 weeks of paid family leave that experts recommend.
• Nearly half of Americans (46%) receive one month or less of paid parental leave, while 1 in 5 has none at all.
• A majority of workers (56%) would take a salary decrease if it would guarantee they’d be happy at work.
• 1 in 6 employees (16%) would take a pay cut of $20,000 or more.

Leading Traits of a Great Boss and Leadership Summary

In today’s workplace, the ideal boss with effective leadership would be approachable, honest, and interested in the well-being of their employees. Power struggles make for awkward work dynamics and can inhibit employee morale and job satisfaction. Maintaining an open channel of contact with your employees is also essential.

Good bosses are willing to listen to their employees’ ideas and suggestions, which helps foster a sense of teamwork in the office environment.

About Mark Matyanowski

As the founder of MatchBuilt, with over 18 years of recruiting and coaching experience and 8+ years in executive roles at a leading Fortune 100 company, I am deeply committed to guiding professionals in their career paths.

Our team at MatchBuilt offers expert support in enhancing resumes, optimizing LinkedIn profiles, and preparing for interviews. Our blog, drawing on our rich experience and industry insights, is a valuable resource for job seekers.

We take pride in successfully guiding job candidates to top-tier company roles while empowering individuals to achieve their career ambitions, irrespective of their background or educational level.

13 Important characteristics & qualities of a great boss

Published on

Half of the employees that quit their jobs quit because of their boss. A bad boss is the single biggest reason for disengagement and low performance in an organization.

This is why it’s important to make sure that you have great bosses that are leading the pack and making everyone around them better on a daily basis.

We worked on a list of 13 characteristics and personality traits that we consider crucial in great bosses:

From flawed to flawless: 5 steps to leading distributed teams

1. Think positive

Understand the power of positive psychology, look at every situation as a learning opportunity. No matter what the situation or what type of rough waters you and your organization may enter, remember, if you have a good leader that is an optimist, it makes it a lot easier to work.Believe me, the last thing that you’d like is for someone to constantly be on your case and give you a lot of negative energy

How to build this trait

The easiest way to build this trait is to do positive self-talk each morning. It could be something as simple as repeating a few positive messages to yourself in front of the mirror while you’re getting ready for work. We have a negativity bias, meaning we’re prone to focusing on the negative in our lives. Do whatever you can to make each day a positive one.

2. Be honest & transparent

It’s important to be transparent and honest with employees.Great bosses possess the leadership skills to appropriately tell people the truth, whether it’s good or bad.Transparency is a hard thing to find in the old-school, traditional workplace, but it’s a growing trend within forward-thinking companies that believe in the flat hierarchy.Knowledge is power. Why not empower your employees with as much knowledge as possible?

This is easier said than done, but you need to make yourself vulnerable. Try small, by admitting a tiny mistake you made or something you forgot to do, and you’ll see how employees will start to respect you more. Another thing you could do is involve other people in team decisions so that they feel included and like their opinion counts.

3. Delegate

It’s really bad for a boss to just hand assignments to people without any order or organization.What you’ll see from great bosses is that they’ll delegate the work appropriately, as they know their employees’ strengths and weaknesses.They also resist the urge to micromanage and give the employees autonomy so they can easily do their task.

Again, easier said than done, but you need to trust your employees. Remember that you hired them for a reason.This article about how to hold employees accountable without micromanaging them should help you.

4. Communicate effectively

So many problems in an organization are the result of lack of communication, which underline how important it is to improve your communication skills .A great leader knows when to talk, but more importantly, when to not talk.They also know how to speak to employees and clear up any sort of problems that might exist within the office. It’s also important to recognize this skill as being both verbal & nonverbal in nature. Understanding this fact and correctly using both elements will have an incredible impact on how you express yourself. Be careful though: if not used correctly, it might have the opposite effect and you could end up sending mixed messages.

Be mindful of the words you use. It’s also important to adapt your communication style based on the personality of an employee. Some employees like to communicate by email, some would rather do it in person, some are more sensitive than others.Try to figure out what the style of each employee is and adjust. You can always ask them what they prefer during a one-on-one meeting.

5. Know how to inspire employees

The fact of the matter is that great leaders know how to inspire.Sometimes, they don’t even know it. However, what makes them a great boss is the fact that when there’s a big moment, they know how to react to it and how to make the people around them react to it.If there’s a high pressure situation, the last thing you would want to deal with is someone who would look at it frivolously and not be able to motivate others.

Build resiliency. During stressful situations, employees will be looking to you to keep your cool, which is tough to do. The opposite of stress is resilience, so if you can learn to make stress your friend you’ll be able to inspire your team better.

6. Align your team

Keep the entire team focused, and aligned towards one long term goal.It’s important to make sure that everyone knows why they are doing certain tasks and what is the result that can come from doing it.Make sure that your employees are engaged and that they are aligned in terms of knowing the vision and goals of the organization.

Setting clear, realistic, actionable goals for your team is one of the most important parts of your job, and can be tough to not only set the goals, but align everyone around them.

7. Promote work life balance

This isn’t just one of the traits of a great boss this is also a trait of a great company.Allowing employees to have balance between their work and their life allows them to be at peace and it lets them know that they’re more than just an employee, but a valuable person within their company.

Take work-life balance seriously. This is by far the biggest issue that employees struggle with, and they need you to set a good example. Two things you can do for this:

• Be a good role model. Practice work-life balance yourself.
• Encourage employees to take time to relax and not overwork. Keep reminding them that work-life balance is important.

8. Give credit where it’s due

We know a thing or two about employee recognition over here.As a leader, it’s really important to make sure that employees are getting the respect that they deserve.So make sure to give out credit when it’s due and make sure to recognize employees.Remember, a pat on the back goes a long way.

Work hard to create a culture of recognition where not only are you giving praise to employees, but employees are giving praise to each other (it means more when it comes from coworkers). Make it public too, everyone needs to see the praise. We have a Slack channel called “Kudos” where we publicly praise each other, it’s a nice way to create happiness at work.

9. Encourage growth

Growth can come in many ways.We often talk about failing fast within our posts and guest posts.The reason why is because it encourages personal growth and it ensures employees that they have the ability to learn from mistakes, rather than fear making them.

Personal growth is, in my opinion, the most important part of employee engagement. Once your growth goes, you get bored, and you stop caring.Invest in your employees’ growth. Give them the training and teaching they need, and learn to develop a growth mindset. Failure and experimentation shouldn’t be punished, but should be looked at as learning opportunities.

10. Praise your employees

Show your appreciation, even for the small things that your employees do.A little praise can go a long way. Don’t hesitate to give them shout outs and let them know that they’re doing the right thing.The ability to effectively praise people is the ultimate leadership skill and it will help the employees around you grow better and more confidently.

Celebrate small wins. Don’t underestimate the power of a simple kudos here and there, even if it might seem small to you. One simple idea could be to start your meetings with a quick kudos with something simple, or a “weekly win”. Something small, but frequent.

11. Be a mentor

If you’d like to be a great boss a major part of your skill set will have to be a mentor.Being someone’s doesn’t have anything to with age, experience, or even their position.If you’re able to help them excel at something, your duty is to lead them in the right direction and make sure that they’re as good as you, and if possible, better!

Let employees know that they can come see you anytime they need to speak. Give your time to employees. I know this easier said than done because you have a ton of your own work to do, but investing in your employees will pay itself back in the long term.

12. Be fair

Sure, sometimes a manager/boss will be a lot closer with a group of people.However, a great boss respects the workplace and knows that everyone needs to be treated fairly and equally. Especially when conflicts arise .Don’t make the workplace an oligarchy and make sure that it’s a fair game for anyone to leave a big imprint within the company.

Try to be as inclusive as possible. Invite everyone out to the dinner you’re organizing, or don’t always call on the same people in meetings.Be mindful that no one should feel like they’re ignored or left out.

13. Build better habits

The habits you create daily shape how you live your life.If you want your team to be productive, energetic, and happy they need to do things each day to get them consistently feeling like that.You can help them build habits by supporting them and enabling them to do things that will have a positive impact on their lives.

Start by building good habits yourself. Set personal goals, and do something each day to help you build those habits into your life. Once you get good at it, share your secrets with your employees to get them to build better habits too.

Equip HR and managers with tools to engage, recognize, and drive performance.

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A comprehensive guide to workplace flexibility

Building a united workplace: 7 activities to promote diversity, inclusion, equity, and belonging

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Are You a True Leader or Just a Boss?

There's a distinction between being a boss and being a leader. Which one are you?

Table of Contents

Being promoted to a management role is a huge accomplishment, but many professionals find the responsibility more challenging than they imagined. Being someone’s boss doesn’t necessarily mean you’re a good leader.

Effective leadership is increasingly essential in the workplace, as more and more employees leave otherwise excellent companies over one resolvable element – bad bosses. According to a study by GoodHire , 82% of all surveyed professionals would potentially quit their job because of a bad boss . 

There are crucial differences between bosses and leaders, so it’s crucial to analyze your leadership style to ensure you’re effectively steering your team in the right direction. 

What are the differences between a boss and a leader?

According to the father of modern management, Peter Drucker , above all else, all business managers must be leaders. But when many professionals step into management or supervisory roles, they wonder, “What are the qualities of a boss versus a leader?” 

We spoke with leadership experts to discover five crucial differences between the two.

As you read the following comparisons, reflect on your actions to determine where you fall.

1. Bosses command; leaders influence.

According to Sue Andrews, business and HR consultant at KIS Finance, a key difference is that a boss’s authority comes from their position. In contrast, a leader’s authority comes from their ability to influence others.

“A boss is there to ensure that employees follow the rules of an organization, but a leader will encourage others to think for themselves to achieve the desired ends,” Andrews said. “A boss will need to give orders to instruct others what to do, but a leader can inspire others to find the best way forward, whilst motivating them to maximize their potential.” [Related article: 35 Inspiring Leadership Quotes ]

Although subordinates follow bosses only because they have to, bosses can grow their influence through encouraging behavior, added Ken Gosnell, founder of CEO Experience. “You can grow your influence by caring for your team, listening to their thoughts and ideas, and sharing the ‘why’ behind the decisions and actions that you take. This is the second step in leadership, but it makes all the difference, and people will follow you because they want to, and not just because they have to.”

2. Bosses explain; leaders inspire.

You shouldn’t just explain a task and leave it in your employee’s hands. According to Christine Macdonald, director of The Hub Events, a boss ensures you understand your work, while a leader supports and guides you through it.

“The biggest difference between a leader and a boss is that a good leader inspires people and makes them excited about their work,” she said.

Success takes passion; without the desire to complete tasks, workers won’t be as driven to give their best performances. As their leader, you should motivate them by letting them know the importance of their work.

3. Bosses discipline; leaders mentor.

Employees are human, and mistakes are to be expected. Who you are as a boss is evident in how you deal with mishaps. While bosses are more likely to use a reward-and-punishment system to discourage poor behavior, great leaders understand that employees benefit from encouragement and mentorship. If an employee performs well in a specific line of work, that strength should be recognized and mastered.

“One key element of leadership is the ability to harness the talents of others to achieve a common goal,” Macdonald said.

It’s essential to note each employee’s strengths and weaknesses and mentor them independently. Rather than attacking skill gaps, work to patch them by guiding employees through their shortcomings and building their confidence in new areas. 

4. Bosses delegate tasks; leaders delegate authority.

A boss focuses on their department’s objectives and stringently follows protocol to achieve those goals. They think for the short term, delegate tasks to their subordinates and tend to micromanage.

Executive and leadership coach Christina J. Eisinger says a boss has key objectives to meet, while a leader sets the team’s long-term vision and uses it as “a key motivator.”

“A boss gets results by telling people what to do and is concerned with doing it right,” she said. “A leader is skilled at results by enabling their team to figure out what to do and is concerned with doing what is right.”

Andrews added that leaders seek to drive commitment by setting an example for others to follow and inspire others by encouraging development. “They are comfortable delegating authority and avoid micromanaging, preferring to see others develop. Utilizing their excellent communication and negotiation skills, they will influence others for the overall benefit of the organization.” [Related article: 3 Elements of Delegation All Managers Should Know ]

5. Bosses are above the team; leaders are part of the team.

A boss doesn’t take the time to get to know their employees as a leader does. Eisinger said that bosses view their team members as subordinates, while leaders let go of this hierarchical distinction and view their team members as equal contributors. 

To be a leader, it’s essential to facilitate positive relationships with your employees. Work with their needs and create a culture that encourages open communication.

“By getting to know your team better, you’ll be able to understand how to explain your vision in a way that will really connect with each person,” Macdonald said. “This means you can personalize the way you motivate people.”

She added that good leaders are genuine and loyal, setting an example for their company. “If you lack passion or motivation, odds are your team will too. Don’t be afraid to be human – be real and express your emotions to connect with your workers.”

Are leaders born or made? 

The discussion about whether leadership is an innate trait or something that can be learned spans decades. While there’s extensive research about whether leaders are born or made, the general consensus is that there’s truth to both sides. While some natural abilities – like being collaborative, intelligent, charismatic and compassionate – help professionals emerge as managers, training and experience can transform someone into a true leader. [Related article: 6 Tips for Getting Your Team to Work Together ]

Many traits, including stress resistance, the ability to delegate, being responsible and having a respectful management style, can and should be trained and learned. 

How to train to be a leader

These are some of the many ways to grow proactively as a leader:

• Explore management theories. One way to become a better leader is by consulting management books and exploring management theories . You can evaluate different management styles and select one that suits you and will benefit your team. 
• Find a coach. Another way to improve your leadership skills is by enrolling in a coaching program. A good career coach will help you identify problem areas and employ thought-provoking strategies to help you develop personally and professionally. 
• Find (and become) a mentor. Unlike a coach, who is usually with you for a short time with a clear agenda in mind, a mentorship relationship is long term. While a mentor can help you, being a mentor can also help improve your leadership skills. 

To be a good boss or leader, incorporate a few key strategies into your behavior, including thoughtfulness, communication and setting clear expectations for your employees.  

• Be thoughtful. A good leader conducts their decision-making process based on the team’s and company’s best interests. Gosnell recommends treating your employees with thoughtfulness. “Leaders who lead for impact think first of their followers. They know that if they are doing what is in the best interest of their followers, it will bring great results for the followers and the organization.”
• Communicate and listen. Leaders should also incorporate good communication by listening to their teams. Gosnell said that a listening leader will hear how to make an organization better through their team’s words. “Listening leaders grow in influence and impact, while those who neglect to listen to their team will struggle with disengaged employees who won’t listen. A leader who wants to be listened to should practice listening to their people.”
• Set clear expectations. Whether you see yourself as a boss or a leader, Andrews said, the key to your success is your staff seeing you as fair in your approach toward them. Set fair, clear employee expectations and be consistent in your manners so your staff knows what they can expect from you. “This is essential in the workplace, as one of the greatest causes of employee stress is not knowing what to expect from their manager,” Andrews said. “Frequent changes in focus and conflicting priorities will leave staff feeling anxious. However, effective communication and a clear goal will ensure that teams all pull in the same direction.” [Learn why effective communication is key to genuine employee engagement .]

What are a team leader’s responsibilities?

Team leaders are responsible for more than just delegating tasks and monitoring employees. They are responsible for the success of the whole team and the success of each team member. An effective team leader should understand each member’s strengths, weaknesses and goals, and utilize their talents accordingly.

Eisinger created a brief checklist for leaders when they’re determining their primary responsibilities:

• Ensure the team has what they need to get the job done.
• Provide challenging, meaningful work.
• Be accessible and approachable.
• Hold regular one-on-one meetings with each direct report that focus on career development.
• Measure performance.
• Provide regular, ongoing feedback, including performance reviews . 

If you do not currently implement all of these responsibilities in your work duties, don’t worry. Focus on improving and seek feedback from your team about what you can do better. According to Eisinger, most good leaders start out as bosses.

“In the work I do, it seems to be an inevitable transition point for people as they first step into a supervisory role and develop their leadership capabilities,” she said. “It’s normal to exhibit some of these ‘boss’ characteristics. However, it is critical to recognize one’s unique challenges and work to overcome them so they can become leaders.” 

Are you a leader or a boss?

While it can be a strenuous journey from boss to true leader, the rewards are well worth the effort. Being a thoughtful leader can increase your team’s productivity, motivation and loyalty, and ensure your company’s success.  

Nadia Reckmann and Sammi Caramela contributed to the writing and reporting in this article. Source interviews were conducted for a previous version of this article.

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15 Qualities of a Good Boss

This article outlines qualities of a good boss.

Working for a good boss is a very motivating experience. It makes one to work even harder and give their very best efforts at the workplace while at the same time enjoying your job.

You can quickly skim all the 15 qualities on the table of contents below and then click on any quality to read further details. Please enjoy reading. Thank you.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

• Having a clear vision
• Knowing how to execute the vision
• Is available for employees
• Sets high standards and is demanding in terms of results achievement
• Shares credit with staff
• Shares relevant information
• Cares about the well-being of staff
• Respects employees
• Delegates appropriately
• Empowers staff
• Regularly praises staff on a job well done
• Does not micro-manage
• Listens to employees

1. A Good Boss has a Clear Vision

For a boss to effectively lead his or her team, they need to have a clear vision of exactly what they want to achieve at work and in which direction their team should be going.

A good boss is one who leads a team in a common and unified direction .

The boss needs to clearly understand the big picture regarding the company including the company’s vision, mission and strategic goals and then clearly identify where his unit, department or team fits within the overall company vision.

“Vision is the art of seeing what is invisible to others.” ― Jonathan Swift

2. Knows How To Execute The Vision

The next step after having a clear vision is to put it to work.

A good boss should easily communicate their specific vision to subordinates. The vision ensures focus, alignment and efficiency.

It is important to breakdown the vision into bite-sized chunks and outline the road-map for getting to the desired goals one step at a time.

A boss can communicate the vision through various forums such as group meetings or one-on-one discussions with staff.

The objective is to share what needs to be accomplished and why, and then encourage questions from subordinates to ensure that everyone is on the same page.

A good boss frequently reminds the team about the vision and regularly measures results against established milestones and targets and course corrects appropriately.

“You have to have a big vision and take very small steps to get there. You have to be humble as you execute but visionary and gigantic in terms of your aspiration. In the Internet industry, it’s not about grand innovation, it’s about a lot of little innovations: every day, every week, every month, making something a little bit better.” ― Jason Calacanis

3. Supportive

No-one wants to work with a difficult or uncaring boss. A good boss is one who is kind, helpful, caring and compassionate.

This does not mean that the boss should be a wimp or a push-over rather the opposite is true, the boss should be confident enough to show their human side.

As emotional beings, we all have our ups and downs, during instances where for example an employee is sick or has a family emergency, a good and understanding boss supports the employee appropriately such as through granting sick off or a word of sympathy or encouragement.

Employees who work for a supportive boss are more likely to be happier; less stressed and have higher work output.

“The purpose of human life is to serve, and to show compassion and the will to help others.” ― Albert Schweitzer

4. Decisive

The inability to make a decision or letting decision making drag on and on is a trait of a poor boss.

Good bosses are decisive; they do not get caught up in never ending loops of analysis paralysis.

It doesn’t mean that they hastily make decisions; instead, depending on the situation and urgency, a good boss is able to weigh the available information and the missing information, probe to find more data or facts, consult others and make a decision that they believe is the best one based on the circumstances.

“In any moment of decision, the best thing you can do is the right thing, the next best thing is the wrong thing, and the worst thing you can do is nothing.” ― Theodore Roosevelt

5. Is Available For Employees

A good boss is one who has an open door policy and is available for subordinates when they need him or her.

Accessibility is critical; it gives you an advantage because employees feel comfortable reaching out and talking to you especially before a problem arises.

That way you don’t end up being a boss who is running around helter-skelter wildly putting out fires because employees were afraid to approach you in the first place before the fire started.

An approachable boss is trusted more by subordinates and breeds a culture of high morale and greater employee engagement in their work.

Subordinates in turn feel comfortable sharing with the boss their suggestions, feedback, recommendations, solutions and ideas that could be valuable for the success of the company.

“Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around.” ― Leo Buscaglia

6. Sets High Standards and is Demanding in Terms of Results Achievement

A good boss sets a high bar for achievement and demands good results from all her subordinates.

It all starts with the bosses setting high performance standards for themselves and actively working towards achieving them.

Employees get more motivated and inspired upon seeing their boss walking the talk. A good boss both expects and motivates subordinates to produce their best efforts.

After performance goals have been set, the boss expects subordinates to be accountable in reaching the targets.

Regular check-ins , evaluations and performance assessments are conducted along the way to ensure the train is still running on the tracks.

A good boss regularly addresses any challenges, deviations, shortcomings and mediocrity in a timely manner and keeps the team moving towards a shared goal.

“You have competition every day because you set such high standards for yourself that you have to go out every day and live up to that.” ― Michael Jordan

7. Shares Credit With Staff

One of the most demotivating things that some bosses do is taking all the credit and either ignoring or forgetting to acknowledge the input, contributions and work of others.

A good boss always remembers to acknowledge and recognize the input of subordinates and team members.

It uplifts the spirits of the team when a boss publicly points out the good work and individual contributions that staff have done in making a specific project a success. It also strengthens collaboration and trust among the team.

Sharing credit with others does not cost the boss anything yet it has a high return on investment. When good behavior and performance is praised, acknowledged and recognized, it is likely to be repeated.

This can lead to a snowball effect where the employees who have been appreciated keep performing better and better thereby increasing the overall success and contribution of a particular unit, department, division, branch and the overall company.

“One of the toughest things for leaders to master is kindness. Kindness shares credit and offers enthusiastic praise for others’ work. It’s a balancing act between being genuinely kind and not looking weak.” ― Travis Bradberry

8. Shares Relevant Information

As a caveat, this does not mean that a boss should go willy-nilly sharing confidential, private and sensitive information with others.

A good boss knows how to use tact, discretion and good judgement in deciding which information is public and which should be private.

A good boss does not hoard information nor do they ignore staff and leave them in the dark.

A good boss shares relevant information with staff such as updates on company performance, sales metrics, team progress, challenges facing the company, company success, brainstorming solutions with the team etc.

The boss also shares big picture information with staff, explains changes, shares departmental progress updates etc.

The objective is for employees to know what is going on both within their department and in the company.

Transparency is a key trait of a good boss. In the absence of information from the boss, subordinates would receive information from the grapevine which might be inaccurate.

“In today’s environment, hoarding knowledge ultimately erodes your power. If you know something very important, the way to get power is by actually sharing it.” ― Joseph L. Badaracco

9. Cares About The Well-Being Of Staff

A good boss genuinely cares about the happiness of his or her staff.

Some ways of caring about the well-being of staff include the following: providing good and safe working conditions; enabling career growth for employees; providing monetary rewards such as promotions, pay raises and bonuses.

Providing good competitive salaries and benefits; opportunities for professional development and training; challenging work assignments and offering regular feedback and praise.

Other ways of caring about staff consist of valuing staff time by having fewer and relevant meetings; instituting and upholding a company culture with strong shared values and encouraging work life balance.

Flexible work schedules; telecommuting; employee recognition and awards; and valuing employees as individuals and genuinely asking about the employee’s hobbies, interests and family.

All these actions help to increase job satisfaction and show employees that their boss cares about them.

“Create caring and robust connections between every employee and their work, customers, leaders, managers, and the organization to achieve results that matter to everyone in this sentence.” ― David Zinger

10. Respects Employees

A good boss treats subordinates with respect.

On the flip side, bad bosses are disrespectful. Typical ways of disrespecting employees include yelling, shouting, sulking, losing your temper, bullying, blaming others and not sharing credit.

Other forms of disrespect include: indecision, avoiding conflict, unavailability, playing favorites, hiding relevant information, poor communication, gossiping, insincerity, over-delegation, too many meetings, selective and distracted listening, boss is never wrong attitude and forgetting promises that you had made to staff. A workplace with disrespect is toxic, unproductive and fearful.

Good bosses earn respect from their employees by doing the right things such as holding employees accountable for their job, appreciating and praising subordinates, caring for staff, listening attentively, being available, having empathy, delegation and trust.

Empowerment, good working conditions, being decisive, admitting mistakes, sharing credit, common courtesies, pitching in during critical times to help staff and fighting for your employees privileges are all hallmarks of good bosses.

“I firmly believe that respect is a lot more important, and a lot greater, than popularity.” ― Julius Erving

11. Delegates Appropriately

Good bosses know that they cannot do everything alone. They recognize and acknowledge the benefits of delegating work to subordinates.

The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines Delegation as “the act of giving control, authority, a job, a duty, etc., to another person.”

A good boss knows the skills and capabilities of his or her subordinates and knows what tasks to delegate to which staff.

The first benefit of delegation is that it frees up the boss’ time to focus on high-level priorities, strategic thinking, decision making, creativity and long term planning.

Other benefits of delegation include: creating a culture of trust when the boss assigns some of his tasks to a subordinate; it gives employees an opportunity to stretch and grow their capabilities through working on new assignments; employees feel valued and important and this can boost morale.

Delegation similarly offers a training opportunity for staff to learn new skills from the boss.

“The first rule of management is delegation. Don’t try and do everything yourself because you can’t.” ― Anthea Turner

12. Empowers Staff

Good bosses give staff freedom and authority to make decisions within certain tasks and areas of their expertise.

This enables employees to fix problems, come up with ideas and suggestions and implement solutions without having to keep going back to the boss or supervisor to ask for permission.

This creates a liberating environment where employees can really shine and become top performers within their respective niches.

The overall beneficiaries of employee empowerment are the customers who get faster and more top-notch, high quality service.

Employee empowerment can likewise lead to creativity and innovation where the staff figure out better, easier, faster and efficient ways to do their daily processes.

“You have to enable and empower people to make decisions independent of you. As I’ve learned, each person on a team is an extension of your leadership; if they feel empowered by you they will magnify your power to lead.” ― Tom Ridge

13. Regularly Praises Staff On A Job Well Done

As humans we all have a need for appreciation. Bosses who do not praise their subordinates are doing them a disservice.

A good boss always finds an opportunity to acknowledge and recognize the good work being done by employees.

Praise can be done either privately or publicly.

When a boss praises the specific activity that the staff has accomplished, this boosts the self-esteem of the person and increases the likelihood of the good performance being repeated again and again.

Giving praise is one of the easiest and inexpensive ways to motivate staff.

Benefits of giving praise include happier employees, more commitment, better customer care, better work performance, less absenteeism, less turnover, better financial performance, better staff morale and overall people enjoy working with each other in a pleasant and friendly way.

“We would worry less if we praised more. Thanksgiving is the enemy of discontent and dissatisfaction.” ― H.A. Ironside

14. Does Not Micro-Manage

The best way to show staff that you don’t trust them is to micromanage them. To constantly peer over their shoulders and watch their every move like a hawk.

The Merriam-Webster Dictionary describes micromanage as “to try to control or manage all the small parts of (something, such as an activity) in a way that is usually not wanted or that causes problems.”

A boss who micromanages staff is one who likes to centralize power and decision making around himself. The boss is not confident that employees will do a good job and thus is comfortable watching every step as staff perform their duties.

Good bosses do not micromanage staff but it is important to note that there are situations where micromanagement is warranted such as during critical deadlines or when a staff member is new and the boss is taking time to learn the work habits and productivity of the new team member in order to determine how much autonomy to give the new staff.

Another area where there could be micromanagement is when an employee’s performance level is below expectations and the boss is working with them to remedy the situation.

“Trust is the glue of life. It’s the most essential ingredient in effective communication. It’s the foundational principle that holds all relationships.” ― Stephen Covey

15. A Good Boss Listens To Employees

One way to compliment someone and to show that you care is to truly listen to them. Good bosses make time to listen to their staff .

Good bosses listen to staff without interrupting them, allowing the staff to fully articulate their issue and feel they have been heard and understood.

A good boss asks questions to learn more or clarify what they have just heard.

In addition, the boss can give well thought out answers as a result of listening keenly.

A good boss shows nonverbal signs to signal that they are listening to you such as nodding, looking at you and making eye contact . By listening to employees a boss can learn important information.

It correspondingly builds trust and confidence between the boss and subordinates. Listening shows empathy for staff especially if the staff is sharing personal information that is affecting their work output.

Finally, listening to feedback about current processes and proposed new initiatives provides valuable insights and data that can save the company time and money in terms of efficiency.

“The most basic of all human needs is the need to understand and be understood. The best way to understand people is to listen to them.” — Ralph Nichols

Additional Resources on Qualities of a Good Boss

• 20 Things the Most Respected Bosses Do Every Day
• 5 Must-Have Qualities Of The Modern Manager
• 7 Unsung Habits of Highly Respected Managers
• 13 Personality Traits of a Great Boss
• Top 10 Traits of an Exceptional Boss
• Signs of a Great Leader: How to be a Good Boss
• 8 Qualities of a Truly Great Boss

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Being a good boss isn’t easy—here’s how to get better

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October 18, 2021 Managers are more important than ever as employee satisfaction moves to the forefront in today’s race for talent. In fact, according to McKinsey research , one of the top factors that employees cited as a reason for quitting amid the Great Attrition was that they didn’t feel valued by their manager.

In contrast, people at organizations with good employee-manager relations report significantly higher satisfaction with their jobs: Among those who say that management relations are “very good,” 74 percent state they are very or completely satisfied in their job, versus only 15 percent of those who say relations are “very bad.”

Countless studies also show the empirical link between employee satisfaction and business outcomes like customer loyalty and profitability. One large-scale meta-analysis found that business units with top-quartile employee engagement achieved operating-profit margins that were 1-4 percentage points higher than those in the bottom quartile.

But being a good boss isn’t easy—one study suggests that only 10 percent of people naturally have all the traits needed to be a good manager. Many incentives for leaders are also misaligned; research suggests that some leaders may even achieve their positions by being self-centered, overconfident, narcissistic, and manipulative.

In contrast, the fundamental elements of good employee-manager relations are the same as with any other human relationship: mutual trust, encouragement, empathy, and good communication.

Regardless, any manager can become a better manager and, in turn, play an essential role in improving workplace happiness and employee satisfaction. These four simple, human practices are a great place to start.

• Empathy, compassion, and vulnerability. A manager who genuinely cares about an employee’s well-being tends to be curious about it. Sincerely asking, “How are you doing today?” creates an opportunity for employees to raise issues and to feel safe when they do. Moreover, curiosity and compassion typically go hand in hand. Research shows that when employees perceive compassion or kindness from their leaders, they become more loyal. Loyalty in turn feeds better performance at work.
• Gratitude. The simple act of thanking people is win-win: It doesn’t cost anything, and everyone feels better. Being thanked makes people feel valued. Celebrating small achievements helps people face larger challenges and sets up a positive dynamic where everyone wants to do better. But don’t overdo it. People can tell when their bosses and senior leaders are just following a script without truly meaning what they say. Hone the ability to feel genuine thankfulness and express it in a heartfelt way.
• Positivity. Giving positive feedback builds employee confidence and reinforces beneficial behaviors. Unconditional positive regard—the practice of validating feelings, withholding judgment, and offering support—bolsters motivation and fosters authenticity. In addition, positive regard is a key contributing factor to developing an individual’s sense of autonomy and self-competence, which is directly linked to greater happiness and well-being.
• Awareness and self-care. Leaders must first help themselves before they can do the same for others. When highly stressed or anxious, it’s hard to be empathetic, thankful, and positive. Being a supportive and compassionate manager is easier for people who are aware of and at peace with their own inner state of being. The recipe for self-care will be different for everyone, but it most often includes attention to diet, exercise, downtime , and sleep . For many, mindfulness or other meditation practices are also powerful sources of resilience .

Indeed, micro-actions often count more than larger, structural changes. One silver lining of remote work is that it has helped us see our colleagues as people first by giving us a peek into their homes, families, and lives. That works both ways, with employees also able to see a more human side of their managers. Bosses who build these practices into daily habits can increase employee satisfaction while becoming better—and happier—people themselves.

Learn more about our People & Organizational Performance Practice

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Global warming is one of the most serious issues that the world’s facing today.What are the cause of global warming and what measures can governments and individuals take to tackle the issue?

In some cultures, children are often told that they can achieve anything if they try hard enough. what are the advantages and disadvantages of giving children this message, ‘children who have brothers and sisters often have better social development than an only child. the government should therefore give money to parents to have two or more children.’ what do you think about this proposal, some people think that children should start school at a very early age, but others believe that they should not go to school until they are older. discuss both these views anf give your opinion., education should be accessible to people of all economic backgrounds. all levels of education, from primary school to tertiary education should be free. to what extent do you agree with this opinion.

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Describe your best boss and worst boss – Sample interview answers

I do not know many people who’d easily recall the “best boss” of their life. We have a tendency to complain about our superiors . After all, they earn more money than we do, drive better cars, and date better women. And typically they do know much about the job–at least that’s how we feel, and that’s what all our colleagues say anyway.

Worst boss is another matter altogether. Certainly there are many candidates on your list, and you’ll be able to throw dirt on them for long minutes , if not for hours. Maybe you have even lost track of what’s true and what were only gossips–who cares anyway?

As you can probably imagine, you would not win many points for such an answer in your job interview. Focusing on the bad things is not an attitude hiring managers seek in their new employees. On the contrary–they prefer to hire people who see the good in others, who can praise their bosses–or even their enemies, for something they did well.

Let’s have a look at 7 sample answers to this tricky interview question . Do not forget to read also my notes below the answers, as they will help you to pick the best one for your situation in an interview.

7 sample answers to “Describe your best boss and worst boss” interview question

• The best one was my direct supervisor in the store where I worked before. She was critical about my work, but in a constructive manner . She never reproached me or raised her voice, just calmly explained what could be done better, with a smile on her face. What’s more, she was open to the suggestions of the employees , and did not consider herself the smartest store manager in the world. I really enjoyed working under her. Before, when I worked as a part time staff member in a restaurant, I had the exact opposite experience . The owner of the place got furious and stressed almost every evening, and he vented his anger on the staff members. The atmosphere in the place was almost hostile when we were packed with guests, and it was also one of the reason why I decided to leave the place.
• I do not believe that something like a great boss or worst boss exists . Each of us has some preferences, and we are all different. I always try to look for the good in people . The only boss I had up to this point in my short professional career had a lot of experience, and they knew everything about logistics. I really felt that we could learn a lot from them . On the other hand, they sometimes struggled to communicate things in an appropriate way, and so we often did not even know what to do… They had they strengths and weaknesses, just like everyone else.
• Up to this point I was my own boss . I’ve done freelancing and never worked for anyone. And honestly, sometimes you are your worst boss . Because you have to find motivation and push yourself each day, whereas when you work for someone else, there are people who help you with motivation, people who set goals for you. I wasn’t a good boss for myself , and that’s maybe one of the reasons why I cannot make it as a freelancer anymore. That’s how it is, however, and I am looking for a new chapter in life, trying a daily bread of a corporate employee.
• My last boss wasn’t only a good manager. They were a great leader, because they tired to help their people grow. They were superbly encouraging, always helping us to find the right way, pushing us forward to great results, going by example. Now when I apply for my first managerial job, I want to have them as my role model in work. Life is short and it makes no sense to boss people, creating tense atmosphere in the workplace. Leadership is a much better concept. And my worst boss, well, I would not say that they were bad or anything. Just did not have the drive and charisma of my best boss. Other than that they did their job quite well.
• This is my first job application , and I have never really worked for anyone. But honestly, I prefer to focus on my work, and my attitude , and do not want to judge other people in work. Each of us has some strengths and weaknesses, and even great people have a bad day in an office sometimes. That’s the way I see it, and I definitely do not have in my head some picture of an ideal boss. Let’s try to be an ideal employee. If I manage to do it, I am sure the relationship with my boss will thrive.
• I do not like to say bad things about people. But my last boss, well, how would I say it, they didn’t care much about their subordinates, or the company . I believe they got in through some connection in the management, and weren’t particularly qualified for the job. They spent most days locked in their office and you never saw them in the plant , talking to workers. I do not want to judge them, however. Maybe they did some job on the computer. But I just feel that a good boss should talk to their people . They should spend their time in the workplace, listening to the concerns of the workers, trying to improve things. That definitely wasn’t the case with the last boss I had.
• I would describe my best boss with three words – empathetic, driven, and fair . No nepotism or favoritism in their work. The worst boss I had, and it’s been some years ago, I’d describe with the following three words-selfish, arrogant, unfair. Regardless of the boss I had, however, I always tried to do my job as good as I could . Just as you do not choose your parents or place of birth, you do not choose your boss or manager. The only thing you decide about is your attitude–to your boss and to your job . That’s what I always focused on–to have a good attitude.

Avoid any sort of personal criticism, and talk in opinions

You should focus on work-related things in your description of the worst boss you had . Saying that you did not like them personally, or that you weren’t on the same wavelength, and that’s the reason why you hated them, would be a bad answer. Also saying that they did something against you in particular.

You can say that they weren’t receptive to feedback, or selfish, or even not really qualified for the job. But try to present it as your opinion–and not as a fact . That’s the way you saw things, but just like with any other person who crossed your path in life, you did not see the entire picture. You are a ware that you can be wrong with your judgement . That’s a good attitude to present in an interview.

Your boss, and especially a bad one, should not determine the quality of your work

Check sample answers no. 5 or no. 7 as a good example of demonstrating this principle in an interview. Ensure the interviewers that you won’t work with less effort, or even try to hide somewhere in the office , just because you do not like your boss, and want their team to have bad results.

They have their role in the company and so do you. Maybe they aren’t qualified, and maybe they are even ugly on you. But as long as they do not restrain you are do not harass you in any way , you’ll simply try your best in work. Because you cannot change your boss. You focus on your attitude, and your results. Maybe one day you’ll replace them in their chair… or you’ll leave the company, unable to bear the  boss anymore. As long as you are working for them, however, you try your best, regardless of the attitude of your manager.

* Special Tip : This isn’t the only difficult question you will face while interviewing for any decent job. You will face questions about prioritization, dealing with pressure, dealing with ambiguity , and other tricky scenarios that happen in the workplace. If you want to make sure that you stand out with your answers and outclass your competitors, have a look at our Interview Success Package . Up to 10 premium answers to 31 tricky scenario based questions (+ more) will make your life much easier in the interviews. Thank you for checking it out!

Philosophical answer can win you some extra points in an interview

Saying that you were your only boss up to this point–and perhaps even criticizing yourself, for a lack of motivation or discipline , can make a deep impression on many interviewers.

Not everyone can admit making a mistake , or look at something in the corporate life from a perspective of an observer. Do not be afraid to come up with some atypical answers in your interview. Check no 2. and no 3. from our list as good examples.

When you say something nobody else will , interviewers will remember it long after the end of the interview . And that’s what you want to achieve–that they remember you once they end their interview with the last job candidate…

Ready to answer this one? Fine, let’s check 7 sample answers to other tricky interview questions :

• Who has impacted you the most in your career?
• Tell us about a time when you disagreed with your boss .
• What does integrity mean to you?
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The Extraordinary Impact of a Best Boss

• Leadership Development

A few years ago, I was having lunch with a friend whom I hadn’t seen since he landed his new position two years earlier. While we munched on our salads, I asked him how he liked his job. Half expecting him to share some level of unhappiness, I was pleasantly surprised when he told me how much he loved his new gig. I have found, after years in the human resources profession, that rare is the time when someone has told me how much they love their job.  It turns out the reason for his satisfaction was his immediate manager, whom my friend described as the ‘best boss’ of his 20-year career.  Intrigued, I asked him to tell me more. His response:

“I am given autonomy and freedom to do my job. I have decision-making authority for virtually all matters that affect me and my team. My boss keeps me informed on organizational happenings that could impact me. He sets high expectations. He gives me timely, constructive feedback when necessary and recognition when warranted. He always ‘has my back’ in a company that is very political, especially to a newcomer like myself. And, maybe most importantly, it is clear that he cares about me as a person, not just as an employee.”

Wow, who wouldn’t want to work for someone like that? It made me wonder if others had a best boss in their lives.

The Best Boss Study

Fueled by this curiosity, I and my Lead Well LLC partners, Dr. Toni Pristo and Dr. John Furcon, decided to study the Best Boss experience. We invited individuals to answer seven open ended questions intended to tell us how their Best Boss had impacted their performance, career and life. While many of our nearly 60 participants worked in a corporate setting, we also received feedback from people with public sector, healthcare, education and small business backgrounds. Many people so enjoyed recounting their Best Boss experience they forwarded the survey to their friends. More than a few people were inspired to reach out personally to say thanks to their own best boss.  Cleary we were on to something. (If you want take the survey yourself, click here .)

Once the survey concluded we analyzed each response. Our first discovery was a set of ‘Best Boss characteristics’ which served as the catalyst for a strong relationship between the individual and their manager. This relationship could be one dimensional or multi-dimensional (e.g. collegial, personal, mentoring, etc.) and was always built on a solid foundation  of personal characteristics such as humility,  integrity, humor, trust, thoughtfulness, fairness, intelligence and optimism.  While these characteristics would vary from boss to boss, the one consistent trait among all Best Bosses was, perhaps not surprisingly, respect.

Our analysis then identified five behavioral traits that that were repeatedly highlighted by our survey respondents. These traits are described below:

• Leads From a Higher Purpose  – The Best Boss has a purpose beyond self-interest / self-profit that is put into action on behalf of the individual.
• Activates Potential  – The Best Boss observes, values and takes steps to activate the present capability and future potential of the individual.
• Grants Autonomy  – The Best Boss imparts knowledge, business acumen, big picture thinking and establishes an autonomous space for the individual to perform.
• Continual and Pervasive Feedback  – The Best Boss seamlessly uses frequent and diverse feedback to constructively shape, reinforce and / or modify behavior.
• Encourages Risk Taking to Drive Learning  – The Best Boss fuels reasonable risk taking to assure learning while realizing that mistakes are a natural part of the growth process.

The Best Boss System

While these themes were interesting, they were hardly groundbreaking findings in unlocking the secrets of great people leadership.   But when we looked deeper at our data we saw a couple of things that really caught our attention. First, it was evident that our five behavioral traits did not operate independently but were actually part of an integrated ‘Best Boss System’ that worked holistically together to motivate others.  It was clear that Best Bosses make it their mission in life to help individuals realize their potential.  But they also understood that this leadership approach was just the starting point. They instinctively knew that potential cannot be fully activated without simultaneously developing skills, setting clear expectations, providing constructive feedback, creating an autonomous space to operate, and encouraging risk taking without the fear of retribution.  This system created a powerful organizational impact by building employee engagement, retaining top talent and driving superior performance.

Powerful Stories

The other compelling part of our Best Boss study was quite simply the personal tales that people shared with us. These were powerful and emotional stories that transcended well beyond work. It was obvious that our Best Bosses leave an indelibly positive impact on us, not only as employees but as people.  Take a look at some of these quotes from our survey respondents and I am sure you will feel the same energy we did as we read their stories:

• “(My Best Boss) made me believe that you could lead with your heart as well as your wisdom, that competence and firmness need not be at odds with compassion and integrity.”
• “He would do all sorts of things to get me out of my comfort zone – push me, and even sometimes provoke me. He saw potential but also saw that I was holding something back and wouldn’t accept that I was giving everything I had to give.”
• “I felt like I could take risks and push myself. I was never afraid of making mistakes and could work outside the box and try new things.”
• “When faced with a difficult decision, her first question was always ‘What’s the right thing to do?’”
• “ The greatest boss EVER … he cared about everyone in his department. He had extreme competence and was trusted by most important people above him. But really it all came down to giving you a clear direction and, within that, complete autonomy. He didn’t allow ‘run-arounds’ by his direct reports, stuck up for you with your peers and other departments and if he didn’t agree with you, he dealt with you in private and let you sort things out. He had an open door and always made you feel welcome when you came in to talk with a hi”
• “Thank you!! You made me a better person… not just a better leader. You made me learn how much more people can do when they feel supported and appreciated. Far more importantly, you made me a better wife, mother, daughter, and friend by sharing your contagious love of life. You taught me to take chances, celebrate success, and appreciate that if I don’t make mistakes, I’m not challenging myself enough!”

Logically this is where I should conclude by sharing insights on Best Boss traits and how they impact leadership and organizational performance. After all, that’s what you expect from in an article about leadership, isn’t it?  And from enhancing individual performance, engagement and retention, there are plenty of things that Best Bosses do to drive organizational success.  93% of our respondents said that their individual performance excelled.  82% made statements that indicated a high level of engagement. 77% said that their Best Boss had a positive impact on both their development and career. If you are a leader yourself or have accountability for driving leadership behavior in your company, these numbers should at least give you pause for consideration. At most, they should  inspire you  to bring these traits more into your personal leadership style and your organization’s leadership capability.

But just focusing on the organization impact would leave out perhaps the most compelling element of the Best Boss experience, which is the spark that is created between two people and how lives change as a result. To reinforce this point I want to share a remarkable story from Courtney, a friend and former colleague, who was one of the first people I had asked to complete the Best Boss survey. Courtney decided to write about Bob, a manager from early in her career. Here is how she described him:

“Bob was a mentor, friend and one of my greatest advocates and supporters. He played a tremendous role in instilling many values that I bring to work each day. I am incredibly grateful, appreciative and privileged to have known and worked with Bob. I have taken everything he taught me into all of my future roles in work and life as a colleague, friend, wife and mother”.

Shortly after Courtney completed the survey she found out that Bob was terminally ill. Courtney printed her survey responses with the hope of sharing them at the hospital with Bob and his wife. But Bob was too sick to see Courtney, so she gave them to Bob’s wife, and attached the following letter:

I was recently asked to be interviewed regarding my favorite boss, who is resoundingly YOU.   I felt like my responses truly captured all that you mean to me and the multitude of ways you have touched and enriched my life over the years, so I’ve enclosed the transcript for you to see.  It could never do justice to expressing the role you’ve played in my life and the special place you hold in my heart, but it’s a start. 

I hope you find comfort and peace knowing how many people love you and the level of positive impact you’ve had on everyone you’ve touched in this world.

Love always,

A short time later, Bob passed away. But not before Bob’s wife was able to read Courtney’s words to her dying husband. A few days later, Bob’s minister shared Courtney’s heartfelt story at the funeral.  It was an amazing moment that reminded everyone in attendance about the incredible impact one person could have on another.

A Final Thought

Whether you are a senior leader in any type of organization or simply someone’s supervisor, you are in a position to bring the power Best Boss traits to your organization. And, if you have been paying attention, you know that this is much more than an organizational topic. It’s personal. If you are lucky enough to have had a Best Boss relationship, it likely has had a transformational impact not only on your work but your life as well.

To conclude, let me ask you to think about the best job you have ever had.

Why did you like this job?

There could be lots of reasons. You understood the importance of your role. You were having an impact. You were learning. Your values were aligned. You were having fun. You were making a difference. You were trusted. You were respected.

You mattered.

Not just as an employee but as a person. Do you remember how you felt?

Your commitment was unquestioned. Your direction was clear. Your development was enhanced. Your performance excelled.

Your entire life was brighter.

There was probably a Best Boss at the center of it all.

Shouldn’t everyone feel this way? What would happen if they did?

That’s the extraordinary impact of a Best Boss. And we should do everything we can to make sure we have a lot more of them.

We would love to hear your Best Boss story. Visit the Best Boss Experience  to share your story, watch videos, and learn more. Contact us if you’d like to talk about bringing the Best Boss Experience to life in your organization.

This article originally appeared on Duncan Ferguson’s LinkedIn .

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