Leadership is hard. Too many people striving for managerial positions think that once they are in charge it's all free sailing ... when really your workload and responsibility is about double if you're doing it well. I think one of the hardest parts of leadership is recognizing that one style does not work for all. It is a bosses job to know how each one of his/her teammates is motivated. And also recognizing that what motivates them today, might be different six months from now. Some of us are motivated by money, flexibility, goals, learning, collaboration, making an impact, promotions, recognition, competition, stability, coaching others, finding a new way to solve a problem, etc.

Early on in my career I was motivated by travel. Honestly, I probably would have paid the company I was working for to let me travel for them. And I also did not know how to communicate this well, so instead, early on when I wasn't traveling as much as I would have liked I assumed I was doing something wrong ... which wasn't the case.

The best boss I ever had knew how much quality time meant to me. I would look forward to our weekly meetings and would be slightly devastated if she needed to cancel. However, she knew that I needed this time with her not because I wasn't capable of doing my job, but to be energized so I could stay on track and prioritize projects correctly. She went out of her way to reschedule time with me (even if it was just for 15 minutes or calling me on her drive home) just so she could hear about my favorite project I was working on. She made me feel valued, respected and in return, I would have done anything she asked me to do. I knew she wanted what was best for me and I never once doubted her intentions. I trusted her. (Woah - put that "T" word in there. I have lots to say on trust, but that's going to have to wait for a different post.) :)

Point of story: Leadership is hard. You are responsible for your people and must know what they care about.