Take Her Word For It

Lessons from an industry leader, manager of Gen Z, and mother.

I have the world's best boss, both for Gen Z Employees and people in general.

It's not a competition. But if it was, my boss would be better than yours.

Everyone knows VP--not because she is central to the company, but because she is central to our culture. She drops by to welcome new employees, regardless of the department they've been hired into. She organizes bouquets and sympathy cards for employees that have lost loved ones. She's the only person I've ever heard of to cry in operations meetings because she deeply cares about her team and customers.

Yes, she is a supervisor--but above that, she is a mentor, a leader, and a friend.

In short, VP is the type of leader that anyone in upper management should aspire to be. I've learned a lot from her, and you can too.

Evaluate who a person is, not what they are.

Hire according what someone can do, not what they are.

VP's team is an assortment of single moms, college students, stable parents, career dabblers, and young adults starting out their lives.

Why? Because VP hires based on desired skills, not desired types of people.

Her team is a diverse group, and we're better off for it. Each member brings new strengths to the table, and a willingness to help one another.

This isn't to say that many managers consciously hire based on specific demographics they are trying to hit. Rather, there are many subconscious factors that can influence whether you do or don't hire an applicant that are unrelated to their ability to complete a job.

Becoming a good manager over your team begins with how you form your team. Don't let hiring bias affect your team before it is even created.

Be available

Showing your team you're available signals that you care and are ready to help.

Her office door is always open.

What's more, VP almost always has someone leaning in the door jam, asking a question. It might be a work question, a request for advice, a comment about procedure, or a life update.

I myself have sat in the chair next to her desk, picked up her Washington Football Team fidget spinner for a few flicks, and ranted about something--both work related and not--to listen to her sympathy, advice, or just make sure she's aware of what I'm going through.

There are many benefits to having an open door policy.

Fight for your team

Managers should be there to improve work for their team, even if it doesn't carry over to them.

2020 was a hard year for our company. Not because our business was failing, but because we had unprecedented sales at a time that we couldn't well handle it.

VP's team especially was struggling. Everyone was working long hours, getting overwhelmed, and not getting any relief. Stress and anxiety were a constant.

While yes, she motivated them and was there for them, VP truly stepped up to the plate--or to the CEO's office, in this case. There, she fought for overtime benefits, higher pay, and more help, because she knew her team needed it.

To be clear, she didn't have access to these benefits herself. As a salaried worker, she couldn't receive overtime pay or a raise. She had her own work piled onto her plate that wouldn't be taken away by additional members of her team.

That didn't matter. She was there for her team before herself.

I could argue that fighting for your team is the true sign of a good manager. However, I think there's more to it than that.

Regardless, being an advocate for your team garners one thing that is hard to get elsewhere: trust and loyalty from your employees.

In the end

It would be impossible for me to list out everything that VP has taught me about being a leader. She taught me how to care about, communicate with, and trust my team.

If I had to summarize it into one thought, it would be this: to be a good leader, you should be working to help your team improve. Let them leave your department better than when they arrived. Inspire them to do, be, and become more, and create an environment where that is possible.

So here's to you, VP, and to all the lives you've touched.