Imagine that you find yourself in a position of leadership at work.  Not only do you have people who report to you, you have people who report to the people that report to you.  You’re the boss!

What kind of boss will you be?

Maybe you’ll be a positive feedback type of leader; someone who sees the potential in each member and offers authentic, positive feedback to encourage that potential.  You won’t be threatened if they complete tasks differently than you might have chosen to complete those same tasks.  You see the value in empowering your employees to put their creativity and problem-solving skills to work.

Maybe you’ll choose to be a cynical micro-manager.  You’ll assume the worst of your employees, burden them with stacks of paperwork in the hope that they will do the job in EXACTLY the same way you would.  Assuming the worst of your employees, you’ll caution them against certain actions or choices simply because they MIGHT try to do something that is against policy.  You side-step those that work under you, moving directly to correct those who report to those who report to you and thus making those individuals skeptical of everyone in the business – you and those who report to you.

When deciding what type of leadership to offer on the job, there is only one question you really need to answer – what type of boss would you want to work for?