Commentary: What makes a good boss? Here are 2 traits everyone expects in their leader

There’s a saying that goes, “People don’t leave jobs, they leave bad managers”. 

While this isn’t the case for every resignation, for me, this has been true for almost every job I have left. 

From the apathetic boss who went back on a work arrangement agreement and bluntly said to me “if you can’t cope, just quit”, to the incompetent boss who reviewed and returned my work worse than it was, to the nepotic boss who granted his son an unnecessary company-paid overseas “work trip”, I’ve had my fair share of “bad” bosses.

TRAITS OF A GOOD BOSS

The best boss I’ve had the privilege of working for was not my direct supervisor. He was the big boss who managed my managers. When one manager’s resignation coincided with another manager’s maternity leave, Big Boss came to be our direct supervisor for a couple of months.

I remember Big Boss for his intellect. He knew what we were talking about all the time, and none of us could fool him. Even though some of us were subject matter experts and should know more than him about specific areas, he was on par with us a lot of the time. In areas where he was the expert, he always took the lead and guided us along.

Big Boss was also hardworking in an old-school way. He came into the office early, and knocked off only after some of us had already left. He was always around when we needed to consult him. He never made us feel like we were working harder than him.

However, two other traits of his stood out and left a lasting impression. Many other managers out there are as smart and hardworking as Big Boss — but few possess the following two traits which made him a truly great people manager.

TREATING PEOPLE RIGHT

First, Big Boss knew how to treat his people right. In Chinese, we say this boss “会做人” (literally “know how to be human”, translates to “know how to do right by others”). 

He bought his new staff welcome lunches, and departing staff farewell lunches. He fronted the department, shielded his employees, and never threw them under the bus to take the blame of mistakes made by the department. 

He would give his subordinates opportunities to shine in front of senior stakeholders by inviting them to tag along with him to important meetings and giving them “air-time” during these meetings. He personally helped to brainstorm welfare solutions for his staff. 

He was also generous with praise when it was earned. An incident where he once commended a deserving colleague of mine in front of the entire department remains fresh in my mind to this day. 

As a testament to his excellent people skills, Big Boss was able to get his ex-staff to join him whenever he left a company to join another.

HUMILITY AFTER A MISTAKE

No one is perfect, and that includes Big Boss, who once made a hasty judgment that eventually proved to be wrong. I remember the look on his face when it dawned on him: Like every good corporate executive, he was trying to maintain a poker face, but his face had scrunched up into a contemplative frown.

While some bosses would have brushed that unpleasant realisation aside and swept the incident under the rug to protect their egos, Big Boss immediately set off to make suitable amends. He went straight to the source of his mistake and issued an unequivocal apology in person to the affected employee he had initially wronged. 

His willingness to do the right thing earned him the elevated respect of his subordinates.

GOOD, NOT PERFECT

Did Big Boss have flaws? 

Of course he did. Flaws are inherent in every individual, and vary depending on who is passing the judgment. For example, some thought Big Boss worked his employees too hard, while others thought he was too traditional in his management style. 

Even within teams, there are employees who will rate the same boss higher than others would, as opinions differ from person to person. 

While some traits definitely make for a bad boss, such as “uncaring”, “rigid”, and “absent” to name a few, plenty of other traits are not as clear cut. A “good boss” trait to you might be a “bad boss” trait to me. 

For instance, I personally prefer to work for bosses who give me the autonomy I need to do my job, but some people prefer bosses who provide ample guidance and are consultative. I also prefer bosses who are direct and candid, but others would rather have bosses who are restrained and conflict-averse. 

WHAT EMPLOYEES WANT

Most of us spend eight hours or more a day, five days a week at work, from our early 20s to our retirement in our 50s or 60s. Our bosses have the power to make so much of our lives better or worse. 

An informal poll conducted with various groups of ex-colleagues sparked a great deal of debate and yielded a variety of responses. 

One ex-colleague opined that bosses should buy welcome lunches, as it sets the right tone for the start of the working relationship. Another thought that such lunches were unnecessary. 

Quite a few emphasised that a good boss, to them, is one who is able to help them develop professionally, while remaining understanding and flexible.

Due to differences in personalities resulting in different working styles and preferences, no boss can be universally perfect.

I believe, at a minimum, what most employees want is a boss who is competent and treats people right by them — a boss who guides her subordinates to do their best work, while showing care and concern for them in a manner that they are comfortable with.

If the people managers among us would put in the effort and care to hone and cultivate these two traits, we should be seeing happier employees and much less attrition at our workplaces. 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Joyce Lim is a vice-president of risk and compliance in an asset management company. In her spare time, she writes about workplace culture, career advice, job interview tips, and personal development on LinkedIn.