In 1958, an employee by the name of Patricia Bays Haroski wanted to show her appreciation for her boss and bosses everywhere. When she first had the idea to make “National Boss Day” a holiday, she was working out of Deerfield, Illinois for State Farm Insurance. The owner of the agency she wanted to honor also doubled as her father. In tribute to him, she registered his birthday, October 16^th (or the closest business day), with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and in 1962 the Illinois Governor, Otto Kerner, officially devoted that day as an annual celebration for employers nationally.

So, to make 1 of 365 days all about bosses, they must have a glamorous role. After all the generalized perception about those in charge is that they: make millions, rule over all, have the most rad corner office, receive the most grandiose benefits, vacation whenever to wherever by private jet, among tons of other perks… right?

Now if you were a boss or currently are a boss you would more than likely laugh and disagree or wonder how you were so unfortunate as to draw the short straw. But on a more serious note, the fact of the matter is that being a boss is hard work and companies either flourish or suffer depending on the quality of the leaders who run them. To get a better grasp at what our bosses do on the daily, Kevin Daum, Inc. 500 entrepreneur and best-selling author gives the run-down of “10 Things Really Amazing Bosses Do”:

1. Create an atmosphere of expansive thinking so that the team is empowered with time, resources, and techniques, to solve the big issues with big ideas.
2. Form an internal culture by design rather than default, making sure to attract the right people to get on the bus and then get them in the right seats. They also make sure that the wrong people never get on the bus, or if they do, they don’t ride for long.
3. Integrate creativity into daily conversation and procedures so that every employee feels natural about being creative and facilitating productive creativity when interacting with others in the company.
4. Support an environment where people are empowered to make change on their own to improve product, process, and procedures. Integrate open communication to the point where the expression of honest concerns is expected, required, and desired by everyone involved to achieve the highest levels of team performance.
5. Incorporate learning and development into every job description so that personal growth is required and rewarded knowing very well that other companies who do this thrive. This way everyone shares reasonable expectations of commitment and success.
6. Ensure that the team understands the difference between a valuable meeting and a waste of time and resources. Further educating the team on facilitation techniques gives each person consistent practice at structuring and leading effective meetings with feedback.
7. Encourage constant interaction and high performance within the team so they succeed or fail together, creating tight bonds of loyalty to the company and each other. Successes are met with equal high praise and rewards, while failures are met with encouraging acceptance and learning discussions yielding next-step improvements.
8. Constantly seek and execute ways to help employees gain deep personal satisfaction from their responsibilities so they are inspired and excited to come to work and perform well every day.
9. Promote personal accountability by providing clear communication and buy-in as to the culture, vision and goals for the company. Effectively and efficiently align the team, communicate in rhythm, and measure progress so they can adjust quickly with minimal risk.
10. Instill a deep sense of personal satisfaction and accomplishment in individual team members. Help employees develop a strong sense of self-confidence and self-praise that outweighs any pat-on-the back or award provided.

Sound familiar? Do you have a really stellar boss that you want to acknowledge this year? Here are some popular ways you can show your appreciation:

• Coffee (who doesn’t love coffee??)
• Greeting Card
• Gift Basket
• Company Lunch
• … perhaps a blog-post!

Looking for more ideas? Check out this article: 10 Fun and Unique Ways to Celebrate Bosses Day This Year

… And to Kristin Bennett (our Amazing Founder, President, CEO, Executive Director, All-Around-Boss-Lady at Non-Profit Resources), we wanted to save the best for last to say ‘Thank You’ for all that you do for this team & our clients:

Credits:

Daum, Kevin. “10 Things Really Amazing Bosses Do.” Inc.com, Inc., 2 Apr. 2013, https://www.inc.com/kevin-daum/10-things-really-amazing-bosses-do.html.

Dearing, Jillian. “National Boss Day | Company Profile.” All Business, Dun & Bradstreet, 14 Oct. 2005, https://www.allbusiness.com/national-boss-day-3876493-1.html.

Quintana, Anna. “10 Miranda Priestly Quotes From ‘The Devil Wears Prada’ We’re Dying To Say in Real Life.” Life & Style, American Media Inc., 3 Nov. 2017, https://www.lifeandstylemag.com/posts/devil-wears-prada-miranda-priestly-quotes-106330/.