Be your own “dream boss” in 5 easy steps
5 min. read
Have you ever had a ‘dream boss’?
I’m not talking about “the characteristics of great leadership” about which we can generally agree. This isn’t about that. This is about YOUR dream boss.
Perhaps this person set you up for success with clear deliverables and expectations; or perhaps they had a particularly great way of rewarding achievement that you found motivating.
Take a moment to close your eyes and think about the kind of environment this person created. How did it feel to work in that environment?
How did this person speak to you? How did they manage your workload?
How did this affect your mental and physical well-being? What was the effect on your work product?
Leaders like these are rare. Maybe you’ve never even HAD a boss that you would consider a “dream”.
Your Dream Boss does exist, however. And they will show up the moment you start practicing intentional self-leadership.
Intentional self-leadership is how you will become your own Dream Boss.
What is Self-Leadership?
The term “self-leadership” was first coined by Charles C. Manz in 1983. He later described it as follows:
[Self-leadership is] “…a comprehensive self-influence perspective that concerns leading oneself toward performance of naturally motivating tasks as well as managing oneself to do work that must be done but is not naturally motivating” (Manz, 1986).
you can improve your own self-leadership ability
Regardless of whether you work for yourself or someone else, you can improve your own self-leadership abiility with this simple 5-step exercise.
**WARNING: If you have a tendency to over-think, relax. This is an easy, no-fail exercise. Just follow each step in order (no jumping ahead!) and try your best to avoid judging your responses, okay?
A 5 Step exercise for becoming Your “dream Boss”
STEP 1: Create a list that includes all the characteristics of your “dream boss”.
This list can be as short or as long as you wish. It can be wildly unrealistic.
If you need help getting started, here are some examples from my own list…
Characteristics of my “dream boss”:
Connects my work to the organization’s mission
Keeps meetings focused and limits unnecessary emails
Gives me a realistic budget for my professional development
Now, go ahead and make your list BEFORE you continue reading. Remember: don’t over-analyze or edit…just let if flow. (I’ll wait.)
Do you have your list? Okay, great! Proceed to Step 2.
STEP 2: Read your list, letting it sink in.
Close your eyes and let yourself imagine working for this Dream Boss you just described. Create scenarios…make a “movie” in your mind. How does it feel? Visualization is powerful.
When you’re done, take out a clean sheet of paper (or open a new document) to get ready for Step 3.
STEP 3: Transform each dream boss characteristic into an “I” statement.
Here are a couple of examples:
Dream Boss Characteristic #1: Respects my time by limiting uneccesary emails.
“I” statement #1: I respect my own time by limiting uneccessary emails.
Dream Boss Characteristic #2: Recognizes and rewards my accomplishments.
“I” statement #2: I recognize my accomplishments and reward myself for them.
Do this for each characteristic, combining characteristics as needed to keep it simple.
From this point forward, you will refer to this list of “I” statements as your “Critical Actions”.
When you’ve finished, go to Step 4.
STEP 4: Write, “I AM my dream boss” at the top of this page (above your Critical Actions).
If you need a reminder of who this “dream boss” person is, re-read your original list of dream boss charactistics, then repeat: I AM my dream boss.
STEP 5: Each morning, before you begin your workday, state to yourself: I AM my dream boss. Then take the critical actions to make it true.
KEY: The critical actions you take each day are what makes this statement true.
If your Dream Boss limits unnecessary emails, then YOU will create email filters that limit excessive ‘noise’. Dream Bosses don’t just encourage professional development, they fund it. Set aside funds (or time) specifically for your own continuous learning. Write your own mission statement then structure your activities around it.
This is how you create an optimal working environment that motivates, rewards and supports your unique strengths.
This is how you find balance and joy at work, while achieving your goals.
Be the Boss you deserve
If you are taking your Critical Actions each day, you are leading yourself in a way that is uniquely designed to ensure your own success.
Of course…the inverse is also true. Stay tuned for my next blog post on “toxic self-leadership”.
References
Manz, C. C. (1986). Self-Leadership: Toward an Expanded Theory of Self-Influence Processes in Organizations. The Academy of Management Review, 11(3), 585–600. https://doi.org/10.2307/258312
