Ep. 32 - Hiring, Firing, and Inspiring: Be a Great Boss

Do you think you’re a great boss? Most of us do, but being a great boss is deceptively difficult and takes practice. Today, Marc and Diana discuss the appropriately titled How to Be a Great Boss by Gino Wickman and René Boer. They dive into the appropriate balance of friendliness and detachment from your employees, the key areas where bosses often fail, and how your workplace compares to a bus. 

For detailed show notes, navigate using the time stamps below:

[2:28] Today’s episode is about how to be a great boss, through the framework of How to Be a Great Boss by Gino Wickman and René Boer. Marc doesn’t feel that he’s always been a great boss, but he has learned to become a great boss throughout his career.

[3:29] According to Marc, being a great boss starts at choosing the right hires. It’s also about setting clear expectations so your employees know if they’re succeeding. 

[7:40] Often, employers compare their relationship with their employees to that of a family. However, you don’t want to adopt your employees – there is a level of detachment that is necessary, but you are bringing employees into your community for a shared purpose. 

[13:39] There is nothing natural about being a great boss; it is a learned art. You will have to work at it and make mistakes along the way.

[16:20] Diana brings up Wickman’s tool, the GWC. The GWC is the “get it,” “want it,” and capacity to do something. Getting it is about understanding, wanting it is about staff buy-in, and capacity is about your emotional, physical, and time capacity to so something. 

[26:37] As the leader of a firm, you have to inspire people to go above and beyond what they would normally consider their maximum capacity. Part of this buy-in is related to the firm’s mission, which is to help its injured and disabled clients. 

[31:36] If you make the right hire, your employees will want to do a good job. The key is making clear what your expectations are so that your staff knows how to succeed. 

[35:09] In the bus analogy, you have to have the right person in the right seat, or role in your company. You can have the right person in the right seat, wrong person in the right seat, right person in the wrong seat, or the wrong person in the wrong seat. 

[38:10] Sometimes the right person in the right seat becomes the wrong person in the wrong seat as the needs of your positions change, technologies advance, and needs evolve. 

Buy How to Be a Great Boss by Gino Wickman and René Boer: https://www.amazon.com/How-Great-Boss-Gino-Wickman/dp/1942952848 

Listen to How to Be a Great Boss: https://www.audible.com/pd/How-to-Be-a-Great-Boss-Audiobook/B01LFPUPVC  

Visit the Successful Barrister website: https://www.successfulbarrister.com/ 

Visit the Marc Whitehead & Associates website: https://disabilitydenials.com/ 

Email Marc Whitehead: marc@marcwhitehead.com