Real Leadership
This post is not about politics. You thought it probably was...am I right?
Eighteen months ago I committed career suicide. Well, not really suicide, but I did take about 4,000 steps backward. I gave up a successful position to move to Wisconsin and marry Prince Charming. Don't get me wrong, it was what I wanted. The decision was difficult though. I really cared about the people I worked with and still do. I try to stay in contact with them even now. Why was this job so different than the one before it and the one since?
Easy. Leadership.
My last boss was a great leader. He listened to his managers' opinions. He was always straight with us. He always sought out our opinions and encouraged discussion. He didn't always take our suggestions but he was always respectful. I became invested in my job. I owned it. I honestly cared about the company in a personal way that had nothing to do with my continued employment but about the other people who worked there and what we accomplished. Do you know what makes these things all the more telling? I was the youngest member of management and the only female. I would have followed that man and his team into the gates of hell and back. Because he fostered teamwork, esprit de corps, hard work, and trust.
I don't think I'll ever work for another leader of the same caliber. But I do know now the kind of leader I want to be.
Why this glowing and gushing appraisal of a perfect stranger to my meager readership?
First, this guy never gets enough credit for what he does. Second, there aren't enough good leaders/bosses in this world (at least in my experience). And third...we could all learn from his example. And lastly, because I got to talk to him today for the first time in a long time and realized that he still believes in me completely. I already kick myself for the sacrifice on a weekly basis, but today was especially hard given the contrasts between then and now. Do you know how great a leader he is? Even now I would go back in a heartbeat if he really needed me.
Now that's leadership!
