Someone who has never had a good boss asked for advice on what makes a good boss. Writing this list made me so happy, I had to share it. I’ve been lucky.

Qualities of a good boss:

- good & fair person
- intelligent
- accessible
- encourages you to grow
- gives you credit for your accomplishments (ie, doesn’t take credit for them)
- gives you room to take initiative and take the lead, and provides feedback at the right times and/or when asked (ie, doesn’t micromanage)
- is calm in crisis (doesn’t panic, takes time to figure out the right solution instead of being reactive)
- has lots of experience but is always learning, too
- is an inspiration (you’d want to be like them in some way one day)
- is a shit umbrella, not a shit funnel (ie, shields you from any unnecessary upper-management politics, etc. that might get in the way of you doing your job well)
- defends you when you deserve to be defended, gives constructive feedback when that should happen (AND NOT WHEN IT’S TOO LATE)
- fights to get you the resources you need to do your job well, and/or supports you when you fight for them.
- understands the importance of prioritization and acts on it consistently
- understands and communicates goals (at all levels) well so everyone understands why they are working on something and how it impacts the rest of the company/org
- is ok with being wrong and uses it as a learning experience (this is an amazing quality in a leader)
- works with the team sometimes, even if they have their own office
- works hard — and knows when to stop (a recent discovery)
- never puts down another team just to gain points with their own team
- is creative!
- is positive and compassionate, yet realistic and practical
- won’t let you take the fall for something *they* did wrong
- passes on their wisdom to you
- is respectful of themselves, you, and others
- enables you to take on scary new responsibilities and supports you through that effort (and not just because they are understaffed and are forcing you to do someone else’s job)

A sense of humor never hurts, either.

Stuff like “honors contracts” “pays on time” “offers snacks and perks” I see as a company-level thing, not a boss-level thing. That is another discussion.

Don’t despair, good bosses are out there, and not only in tech!

(Thanks to the good bosses for showing me what it looks like.)