Who’s your favorite boss ever? Lead like that

Tom Harper Oct. 7, 2024

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Think about the worst boss you've ever had. Despite their autocratic, unkind, or incompetent ways, did you still somehow benefit from working under them? I bet you did, even if you learned what NOT to do.

Now search your memory for the best one. Maybe you're even working for them now!

My worst boss made me feel like an idiot and took credit for things I did. My favorite boss still brings a smile to my face. In fact, I still run into him in coffee shops. He'll probably even read this post. (Cheers, Steve!)

Steve was my boss over 30 years ago. He was full of good humor, modeled a tireless work ethic, fought for us both internally and out in the market, and was wildly creative. We celebrated our wins and laughed a lot.

He rooted for me even after we parted ways. I was sad to leave him as I progressed in my career, but I've always tried to lead like him. He's a great encourager and still has a smile for me whenever I see him.

If you've had a great boss, too, you and I have models to build our own leadership on.

If you haven't found a great one yet, be on the lookout for him or her. And when you find them, learn all you can for as long as you can.

Great bosses are rare.

Why not be one of those rare leaders yourself?

Following Christ,

Tom Harper
Founder, BiblicalLeadership.com
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Tom Harper is publisher of BiblicalLeadership.com and executive chairman of Networld Media Group, a business-to-business publisher and event producer. He has written five books, including Servant Leader Strong: Uniting Biblical Wisdom and High-Performance Leadership (DeepWater Books, 2019) as well as the Christian business fable Through Colored Glasses and its sequel Inner Threat (DeepWater, 2022). Learn More »

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