Bad Boss

Where to next?

In his 2018 Year in Review, entrepreneur and philanthropist Bill Gates shared how his perspective on life had changed as he aged. He explained how the questions he asked himself at 63 were very different from the ones he asked when he was in his twenties.

In his twenties, his end-of-year assessment was all about Microsoft and whether the dream of personal computing was coming true. ‘Today,' he said, ‘I still assess the quality of my work. But I also ask myself … Did I devote enough time to my family? Did I learn enough new things? Did I develop new friendships and deepen old ones?'

I love this reflection because it's a reminder that what matters to us changes as we progress and evolve — not just as employees and leaders, but as people. What won't change, however, is the desire to work in an environment where your contribution has meaning and purpose, where you feel valued and you can be your best.

The workplace can be challenging and complex. So why would we want to compound the pressures by not creating the right support mechanisms and practices to allow everyone to thrive and excel? When everyone plays their part in the relationship dynamic, it creates the opportunity for the leadership pressure chamber to have a fully functioning release valve.

When it's working well, the workplace works, and everyone steps up feeling match ready.

That's why progress for you isn't about taking time out to skim through this book, and thinking, ‘Check. I'm done'. The process ...