By Kevin Estes

Best Bosses?

Who have some of your best managers been?

What made them great?

Some of my standout supervisors (in chronological order) include:

Tony Russo, ZS Associates

Tony was my first professional manager.

What I remember most about Tony was the feeling I had when meeting with him: calm.

I was nervous as a management consulting summer intern.
Tony always had a way to simplify things and put them in perspective. 🙂

Gary Austin, AutoZone

Gary was my first full-time professional manager.

I loved working with him! He genuinely cared about each of his employees and is seriously funny.

Our team accomplished a lot… though it rarely felt like it.

Thushan Wijesinghe, T-Mobile

As my hiring manager at T-Mobile, the first thing Thushan did was allow me time to learn the culture and systems.

He gave me copies of recent PowerPoint presentations and reports to review: “Let me know if you have any questions.”

Did I ever! He answered them all.

Thushan was always patient, thoughtful, and kind.
He worked hard to ensure his teams were as well.

Orna Samuelly, T-Mobile

Orna is truly one of a kind!

The metaphorical elephant in the room? She calls it out with humor:

"Look at the funny hat on that elephant!”

She’s a master of challenging people without upsetting them.

Orna put her team first, pivoted when something didn’t work, and prioritized wonderful team events.

Thank You, All!

Thank you Tony, Gary, Thushan, and Orna for your wonderful leadership.

I still get the opportunity to connect with almost all of them… which is remarkable since each of us moved on from those employers years - or even decades - ago!

Situations change. Feelings, stories, and relationships endure.

What About You?

Have you had a great manager? Do you currently?

If so, let them know!

If having the flexibility to decide who you work with appeals to you, let’s meet to prioritize your finances.

Disclaimer

In addition to the usual disclaimers, neither this post nor this image includes any financial, tax, or legal advice.