11 Things The Best Bosses Do

Want To Be A Better Leader? Copy These Qualities, Habits, And Plain-old Good Policies that Top Managers Live By.

- Kathleen M. Harris

PICK YOUR BOSS, not the job— there’s a reason career coaches say this. Who you report to has a huge impact on your growth, happiness, and success. And when you are a great boss, you’ll motivate your team to work hard, boost retention rates, and create a satisfying work environment. “Good bosses make everybody’s life better,” says Bonny Simi, president of JetBlue Technology Ventures. Leadership is a skill you can learn and practice; we asked bosses in a variety of fields to ID the habits the most raved about managers have in common.

1 They earn your trust.

“Trust fuels the ability to give honest feedback, to have difficult conversations, and to partner together to build great things,” says Jennifer Hyman, cofounder and CEO of Rent the Runway. It’s a two-way street: While bosses need to trust their team to get the job done, they also have to prove they’ll make good on their word and act in the team’s best interest. “Your team will trust you if you do what you say you’re going to do,” says Joan Sullivan, CEO of Partnership for Los Angeles Schools. Being open and approachable and owning up to mistakes helps too. Say “I don’t know” when you lack answers—then go and find them.

2 They understand you have a life.

Learn a bit about everyone’s life outside the office. It can help you better understand their strengths and challenges and create new opportunities (the person on a charity board, for example, could be in charge of a community service project). Showing that you’re human is important, says Kerry Cooper, president of Rothy’s, a shoe company. Modeling positive behavior—taking your kids to visit the office, not sending late-night emails, accepting someone’s need for a mental health day—contributes to a happier, healthier work environment.