The Curse of the Bad Boss
Bad Bosses. We’ve all had ‘em, right? I’ve had some stinkers. My top 3 go like this:
1. ‘Miss Trunchball’, on the factory floor clutching her clipboard, who with a mirthful smile she could not suppress called out the names of each person she fired at the end of the day.
2. Chief crone and dinner lady who hissed insults as I failed to serve food correctly under her beady eyes in an office canteen. I can still picture her pursed lips and crow finger pointing at a rogue strand of hair fallen from my hair net.
3. And then the office bosses; throwing tantrums and calling at all hours of the day or night, or editors who hauled me across the coals in the boardroom while my so-called supporters shrank back into their seats…
You get the picture and no doubt have many more horrid head honchos and lousy leaders to add to the list. For those of you who are self-employed, I salute your forever freedom from bad bosses! To all bosses, good or bad, who happen to be reading this, for the sake of your employees I urge you to read on…
The Curse Finally Lifts
I like to think there is always a positive to come out of negative experiences and always a reason for the season - in my case a very long season - 20 years - of mean chiefs presiding over my working life.
And the reason I have reasoned to make sense of the long list of bad bosses is this: if I hadn’t had all those mean bosses, I wouldn’t be so appreciative of my current boss, John Hunt, CEO and Founder of Lotus Flower Trust.
The bad bosses taught me to be fearful, anxious and insecure at work. John, with a culture of kindness instead of fear, has taught me nothing but positivity. The wisdom and life lessons he bestows is endless and life-changing.
He has taught me to always ‘Keep Buggering On’, which he learned from Winston Churchill, no matter what life throws at you.
But most of all I have learned from John that it is kindness that people remember you for.
John’s kindness continues even after recovering from the Coronavirus, at aged 80 (in a few weeks), as he continues to try and fundraise for his charity the Lotus Flower Trust each day.
Thousands of nuns, monks, children and adults from the 65 projects he has brought to life in India had been praying for his recovery.
The kindness effect.
I don’t care to remember the names of all the bad bosses I’ve had, only the good one: John Hunt. Look him up and be inspired people.
John Hunt CEO, Lotus Flower Trust
To help celebrate John’s 80 years on the 20th December, please like, share and tell us all your best John stories! Thank you.
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