We often hear about bad bosses, but we think it’s important to talk about the good ones because we hope that by giving folks examples of how to be a good boss we can inspire future bosses to be better, to do better for their employees and all stakeholders.

David Zhu

One of the most influential mentors and leaders in my life was someone I met during my early years living abroad. In 2017, as a newly graduated international student starting my professional journey in the U.S., I quickly realized that the challenges I faced extended far beyond technical skills—they included cultural barriers, communication hurdles, and a deep uncertainty about navigating a completely new social environment. Even after receiving my first job offer, I found myself overwhelmed with anxiety and self-doubt. Read More>>

Lynda Fishbourne

My first employer after graduating from Design School was one of my professors, who was starting his own design firm after many years as a Corporate Design Director. He had wonderful clients, and respected and appreciated all that worked with him and for him. He gave loose reign on many important design projects and trusted I would follow through and deliver on time. He shared his love of \ color and white space. And he helped me learn the things that they don’t teach in school….. like going on press approvals, and how to work with the sales, marketing and press people that printed our jobs. Read More>>

Cherie Slane

I had the best boss at my first paid job after college. I worked at an art gallery and consulting firm in San Francisco. The owner, Joanne Chappel, ran her business with her gut and it worked. She had incredible instinct about both art and people. Joanne treated me as if I were a seasoned art professional right from the beginning. She flew me to the art shows in New York and allowed me to take all my own meetings. During my first year working for her, a woman came into the gallery and said she had a colleague that needed help selecting artwork for Nordstrom department stores across the country. After a couple of months of presentations, I landed the project. Joanne offered the biggest congratulations – she had this incredible mom vibe of “I am so proud of you!!” but never micromanaged. She offered me total independence and that trust gave me so much confidence early on in my career. Read More>>

Jill Perry Townsend

Years ago I worked for a graphics design firm, and there I got a project to do work for ocean conservation. I threw myself into the project, because to do art for nature seemed to me to be the best thing I could imagine doing. The budget was small, but I was willing to contribute time on my own in order to finish the project. My boss at the graphics firm was not happy I had donated my own time, and, short story, I left that job. The conservation organization, however, wanted me to work for them as their art director. The first time I met their board of directors the president of the organization, Roger McManus, introduced me as, “the person we have hired to upgrade the quality of our publications.” I took that as my mission statement, and tried with every new publication to make it better than before. Read More>>