Poems for Boss? Happy Boss's Day!

October 16th is Boss's Day. I have written a Boss's Day post every year for the last four years. A couple of years back, I offered  Boss's Day Poem. I gotta tell ya, that thing gets SO MANY Google hits from people searching for poems for bosses. Over 10,000 20,000 hits in the last couple of days alone.

I had no idea that we were all so sensitive. :-) Or is it that we are too cheap to buy a gift?

I thought I would share that poem again today. Do something nice for your boss today, OK? Being a manager is often a thankless job. Sure, many managers are slugs, but most are well meaning slugs who learned from other slugs.

Give him or her something delicious, like a box of truffles or a liter of Bombay Gin.
Give him or her an afternoon off - manage up and tell your boss to play hookie.
Give him or her one drama-free day.

Here's the poem (poems, actually, there are two) - enjoy. Oh, and I know I am no Robert Frost or Billy Collins......

Being Boss

It is not always easy to be the one in charge
In charge of fixing the daily conundrums
That inevitably a come up at 4:30 on Friday
The Friday you have ball game tickets with a pal

Having to make the calls can cause nerves to flair
Flair with fear and raw vulnerability for what’s unknown
And the issues get more gnarly as the day wears on
Wearing patience thin and testing tired brain cells

Why would anyone want to be the boss?
The boss gets all the complaints and aggravation
Constant interruptions render plans obsolete
Obsolete and out of touch before clearing the gate

Being boss comes with these and many more challenges
Challenges roller coaster emotions and energy
These diversions don’t overshadow the reason to lead
Leading is about people, connection, and excellence

Leaders can see and develop our potential
The potential to fully express and utilize our talents
The boss cares about whether people are engaged
Engaged and unencumbered by rolling crud

Hats off to all leaders who get through the muck
The mucky muck of business to help people be great
Jobs would be unbearable without great bosses
Bosses who get what leading is really about

Boss’s Day Haiku

Context and comfort
Filtering through politics
The boss saves the day

Comments

[Scott Eblin]

Hi Lisa -

Here's another Boss' Day Haiku - this one from the employee's perspective:

Depending on your
boss, today is the day to
celebrate or cry

Cheers -

Scott

[Wally Bock]

Thanks for triggering a big smile.

[Ellen Weber]

Great idea Lisa and thanks for saying it so well. Move over Frost and Collins!

What about one day where a leader opts to be a follower and give over the helm to another talented person at the firm. At the end of the day off their might be new directions where both sides see new directions from unique angles. Thoughts?

[lisa haneberg]

Thanks for the great comments, all. Ellen, yes, I think that's a super notion - anything we can do to help everyone build their abilities to both lead and follow is time well spent.

I believe that leadership should change with the topic/project.