Many business owners we’ve spoken with didn’t start with a huge team on day one. They had to learn how to be a good boss, but the problem is the books on leadership are often highly theoretical and so we wanted to hear practical examples of what it means to be a good boss. So, we asked some brilliant, insightful folks to share stories about the best bosses they’ve had.

Sarah Russo

I’ve been so fortunate to have many mentor’s and bosses over the years but the very first one I had in publishing really stands out. Nicholas never treated me like an assistant (even though that’s exactly what I was). He always introduced me to people as his colleague, and he introduced me to everyone. He was gracious and grateful. We worked long days, I was in the office at 7:30am and left at 7:30pm most days and truly loved every minute of it. Read more>>

Amanda Camp

I have been fortunate enough to have several leaders in my life that have been positive role models and helped me on my journey. I would not be here today without each of them. However, if I had to choose the one that made the biggest difference in my life, it would be my very first supervisor, Bill Leming. Read more>>

Tamiko Brown

I still work full-time in my career. My current boss, Smith, is not only a boss, he is a mentor and dynamic leader. Not just for me, but the entire team which consists of seven (7) of us. A. Smith understands that the team’s performance was not solely determined by their technical skills, but also by their spiritual, emotional, and mental well-being. Read more>>

Anne Brashier

The birthday boy was screaming. I had misjudged the wind and underestimated the current. Our boat was stuck on the rocky jetty. My entire job was to take this small group of 10 year olds and their parents out for a few hours of fun ocean sailing. I had failed. After desperately attempting to dislodge us, I had to admit to the small party that I needed to call for backup. Read more>>

LaKenya Kopf

A great leader at Wells Fargo taught me that the best way to train someone is to approach it in the same manner of teaching a toddler to walk. If you constantly hold his/her/their hand, they will never learn their balance or build their confidence. If you never help them and they continue to fall, they will quickly become discouraged. His approach was to provide guidance and step back. Allowing us to take our “first step”. Read more>>

Barbara Chavez-Sabree

I have been so fortunate to have more than one great mentor and boss. My mentor in graduate school was my assigned advisor who was also one of my professors. I met her and my thought was “goals!” Her teaching style, passion for the field of psychology and her heart (she was so kind) truly reinforced that I had chosen the right program. I expressed to her that I would like to be her TA (teacher’s assistant) and she did not hesitate to take me under her wing and teach me. Read more>>