The Power of having a great boss
“Whatever the problem, be part of the solution. Don’t just sit around raising questions and pointing out obstacles. “Tina Fey
In order to move your career forward, it’s critical to have a great boss that is fully invested in your growth professionally and that believes in you. There are many managers out there that just “manage” but if they are not helping their direct reports get promoted or get an external job opportunity, well that manager isn’t doing their job. For years, I didn’t have a good manager. They only care if I did the work and I had to seek my own internal and external opportunities, which didn’t work out in my favor. For many years, I feel really stuck in my career until my last role at RightStar.
I was working at a MarTech company called Cheetah Digital (who is one of the pioneers of email marketing) for the past 4 ½ years and I decided to jump into a 4-month contract hoping that things will work out for me and boy did it ever! Jenine was the best boss ever! From the beginning, she taught me the skills and tools that I needed to be successful. I was the face of the team and our team was brand new so needless to say, my nerves were pretty high and I was definitely scared! Jenine was highly invested in me and she knew if I was thriving, the team would succeed too! I was brand-new to the aerospace industry and honestly, everything was new to me, which was scary at first. I had support from my boss and she truly believed in my abilities. I remember bombing the first team meeting I led but I was a sponge and took the feedback to get better and confident.
Within a month, I quickly figured it out and I ended up making an appearance in the CEO’s newsletter for my good work performance. My boss gave me the keys to lead the team as I manage a team of 2, managed projects, led major key meetings, and took care of the team’s contractual requirements. She didn’t micromanage me but was available if I did need her help. Again, this was a 4-month contract and honestly, I thought we had a really great chance at an extension. This was not the case and my boss fought very hard to keep me on-board. I was fortunate to get another job offer and the main reason was because of the work I was doing with my prior team. When I told my boss I got a job offer, she told me to take it and she reminded me that I would do great things with my career. She really did want to keep me but she knew I would be in better hands and I think I made the right decision at all when I look back on it.
So if you want to move your career in a huge way, find a good boss. They are hard to find but once you find your good boss, don’t let them go. You’ll be able to grow your career faster than you’ll ever think was possible. They need to be invested in you and your growth. If not, try to transfer departments or find a new job as I did. Find a boss like Jenine and you’ll never look back!
P.S.
Brian Lee, if you’re reading this. You have been a great boss to me as well. Thanks for hiring me and having confidence in me. I know my current role will help move my career forward. J
