To the leaders that made me

Attention: Julia, Peter, James, and Paul

Subject: Thank you for your influences

To all of you, I thought it would be prudent at this juncture of my career to let you each know that you have significantly impacted my professional life (and to some degree my personal life as well). I am the passionate leader that you see today because of your influences and I wanted to acknowledge the contribution each of you has paid to that journey.

Julia

“I dreamed I met Michael Jackson”

You were the first senior female manager that I worked for over a long period of time. You did not have a chip on your shoulder, and you didn’t set out as though you had something to prove. I appreciated that you invested your efforts into my development and taught me about managing difficult stakeholders.

I remember the first time I had to end someone’s employment, you graciously offered to have the conversation with them for me but said “it’s one of the hardest things you will have to do as a leader, if you can master it, you will become an even better leader”. When it was all said and done, they thanked me for my approach and even said they were glad it was me that told them and not Julia.

You are fierce when you need to be, but also so good to all your employees. You really fostered the attitude of being a team and encouraged people to contribute their ideas. When we stopped working together, we stayed in touch and I have continued to appreciate your advice, friendship, and good humor. I tell stories about our work successes with pride and laugh about your Michael Jackson fever dream. You will always be a friend and a mentor. Part of my career success rests with you.

Peter

“Alright team, crack on”

Your catchphrase still rings in my ear even three years after we stopped working together. I have repeatedly described you as the best boss I ever had. Your attitude to delivering one’s best, as well as challenging poor behavior meant that I too developed an attitude of making sure we brought our best every day.

You taught me the importance of understanding the bigger strategic picture of our work, and what things would remove headaches for me and my team. It worked, I’ve learned to anticipate the headaches and put strategies in place to prevent them. I also find myself using some of the words you recited, they clearly permeated my brain like an earworm.

Away from work, you were equally as large as life. I will never forget your team winning their first grand final in over 50 years the first year you worked with me. I appreciated a boss who drank single malt whisky and ate his fair share of steak. The story of “two-for-one- rump night” resulting in four rump steaks being delivered to our table with you hurrying the waitress away with the empty calories of salad is the stuff of legend. Your stories always made a night out drinking hilariously memorable and I appreciate you showing that work can, and should, be fun.

James

“We are what we measure”

It is impressive when you can work with someone for a very short time, yet they impact your life in such a positive way. I had been working in your team for about a month when you were pushing me to act long-term in a job, I wasn’t skilled in. This was your way; you would invest in people and develop their careers. You afforded me opportunities that you thought I deserved, even though I didn’t have the confidence in myself, but you sure helped build that too. When I wrote a funny story about my experiences with my work you sent it on to the big boss and he, in turn, published it internally and gave me a call, although we never got that whisky he promised me.

On your last day of work with me, when you were having the worst day of your professional career, you continued to put effort into driving my career. The fact that you were still looking out for your staff while going through that is incredible, to say the least. I recount the story often, every time feeling like I will cry because of what you did for me. I always end the story with “that is the mark of a true leader”. When I got this latest promotion, you downplayed your involvement in pushing me there, but that has always been your way.

Paul

Paul, I have saved you for last because I feel it’s important that I appropriately evaluate you against the three previous leaders so that I can fully explain the depth and breadth you impacted me. Let me get it out there straight up, you were a lousy leader. You divided your staff, you belittled them, you were constantly paranoid that people were trying to show you up, and you did nothing to build a positive culture.

Whilst working for you I was diagnosed with depression, so I went to you and told you, I felt that was the right thing to do. You acted, as most poor leaders do, you pushed me further to the brink, and gossiped with other people about me. At a time when a little kindness would have gone a long way, you instead opted to maintain your chosen persona of a bully. I survived and came out the other side, despite your efforts to break me.

Why then are you in this letter? Simply because you taught me lessons just as important as the other amazing humans and incredible leaders. After having seen your leadership style, your approach to people, and the lifelong impact you had on those around you, I said to myself “I will never treat people that way”. I would like to think that I have lived up to that promise, I hope that one day you realize that you can also opt to try a little kindness and understanding, to see what results from it.

Julia, Peter, and James thank you again, every day I try to make sure you remain proud of the leader you have helped create. Paul, I too hope you hear tales of how well I have done for myself after leaving your reign of terror, and somewhere that helps you find the strength to grow and prevent other people from being subjected to whatever it is you do because it is not leadership.

Kind regards.