Think back on the worst boss you’ve ever had.
You may or may not remember what they said or did, but I bet you remember how they made you feel.
Case in point: Early in my career, I worked for a boss who would get furious when things didn’t go according to plan. In those moments, he would throw pens at people.
Yes, throw pens.
Before walking into his office with bad news, I carried a clipboard with paper on it. It looked like I was prepared to take notes.
But truthfully, I was prepared to use the clipboard as a shield if the pens started flying…
What I remember most about that boss isn’t the flying pens.
It was the feeling of dread, of walking on eggshells. The feeling of needing to share bad news that would likely make a difficult situation even worse.
Looking back now, I’m grateful for that experience. Because *what we don’t want teaches us what we do want.*
That boss taught me exactly the kind of leader I never wanted to become.
I wanted to work for a leader…
• who I could be honest with – especially when the news wasn’t good.
• who would listen and not judge.
• who would leverage mistakes made as learning opportunities, not reasons to finger-point.
A bad boss can teach us what not to do. But the real leadership opportunity is choosing to become something better.
**Be the leader you wish you had.**
What’s one lesson a challenging boss taught you that helped make you a better leader?
I share many more leadership stories in the updated edition of my book Would YOU Want to Work for YOU™?, launching June 23. Pre-order available on Amazon here: https://a.co/d/0dOhMGgD
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