The Makeup of the Perfect Boss...

I was asked an interesting question today -- what is the perfect boss?

What an interesting, yet simple question. Some folks take the easy road, answering the perfect boss doesn't exist. Some may even venture to say the perfect boss is one that empowers them to achieve greatness, which may be true, but many bosses can empower people, who go on to incredible failures.

After thinking on the question, I remember a time a few years back, when a new boss of mine asked a similar question. I remember my exact answer. I also remember asking my own team if they could expand on my answer, and expand the concepts. While I couldn't possibly remember all of the answers, I could best summarize my thoughts in the following terms:

The perfect boss is part Tour Guide; part Guidance Counselor; part Psychiatrist; part Relationship Counselor; part Detective; part Astronaut, part Teacher; and finally, they are part Super Hero.

Tour Guide = Guides a group through a roadmap, pointing out areas of risk, and where not to step, giving a history lesson of the area, telling of cool facts that make people excited to be there, and finally, doesn't leave any member of the group behind.

Guidance Counselor = Provides enough insight and information for the listener to make a decision, and with much luck, a good decision.

Psychiatrist = Creates a safe environment for those that need to vent, provides critical feedback on the surrounding environment, and provides sound social and mental skills to overcome challenges, and seek success.

Relationship Counselor = Provides the means for disparate groups and invididuals to come together to achieve a common goal.

Detective = Find the BS, and provide enough evidence to support or debate a topic.

Astronaut = Someone who instills in others the dream of doing the impossible, and achieving what few others have achieved, while maintaining the support of nearly every man, woman, and child in the world.

Teacher = Self Explanatory... But, we all remember that one great teacher we had in our lives, the one that made a difference... A perfect boss is that perfect teacher...

Superhero = Fights evil, represents those who cannot represent themselves, survives and excels even in the most brutal of fights, and is supported, not sabotaged, by those who surround them (eg. does not incite jealousy with their success and capabilities, but rather, creates an environment where we either join them, or become one of them).

The reality of the question is that few people exist who excel in each of the above parts. While I do believe they do exist, they are rare, and often we don't realize who they are until we no longer work with them.