Best Boss Ever

The lessons that live on

In Episode 71 of the Best Boss Ever podcast, Christine sits down with Jay Miller, CEO at marketing consulting firm, Kyber. 

But interestingly, Jay’s best boss has nothing to do with marketing. 

Jay talks about working under a general contractor when he was in college, and what that leader taught him about having a solid work ethic, the right way to treat employees, and why it’s important to always do your best work. 

Listen in to hear more about the lessons Jay learned from his best boss that still have a major impact on how runs his business today. 

Success starts with respect

In Episode 70 of the Best Boss Ever podcast, Christine speaks to Dr. Paul Marciano, a leading authority on employee engagement and retention, and published author of books such as Let’s Talk About It: Turning Confrontation into Collaboration at Work and Carrots and Sticks Don’t Work: Build a Culture of Employee Engagement with the Principles of RESPECT.

As Dr. Paul puts it, “When people feel respected, they engage. When they feel disrespected, they disengage with their boss and organization.”

Listen in to learn why Dr. Paul thinks performance reviews should go the way of the dinosaur, the fundamentals that make a great boss, and what he’s learned from the bosses who’ve helped inform his work. 

The chameleon boss

In Episode 69 of the Best Boss Ever podcast, Christine connects with Frank Orlowski, managing director of Alvarez & Marsal, and president and founder of Ation Advisory Group.

Frank shares the experience he had with a boss who taught him everything he knows about doing business in other parts of the world. He supported him in effectively conducting business by helping him understand the intricacies of different cultures and showed him how to adapt his communication to build impactful connections and drive results.

Listen in to learn why his immediate feedback helped Frank adapt quickly, how he was there to help him ensure family came first, and why recognition is so critical when working on collaborative projects. 

Perfecting emotional professionalism

In Episode 68 of the Best Boss Ever podcast, Christine is joined by Brittany S. Hale, CEO and founder of BND Consulting Group. 

Brittany shares the story of her “best boss ever,” Frank, who she met when she was an attorney. 

Explaining how Frank’s affinity for leadership was clear from the very beginning, she says he was someone who set an example for the “emotional professionalism” that was expected in the organization. This was essential to creating a culture where growth could flourish, where Brittany felt comfortable taking ownership of any mistakes so that they could be rectified as efficiently as possible.

Listen in to hear how these learnings stayed with Brittany well after she left her legal career behind, and why Frank’s practice of maintaining emotional professionalism, assuming positive intent, and making tough feedback feel easy made his coaching so impactful. 

The boss that guides you

In Episode 67 of the Best Boss Ever podcast, Tom Shields, co-founder of Shields Group Search, joins Christine to talk about his best boss ever: Carolyn Kimmick. Tom talks about how Carolyn took him under her wing as he began his career in executive recruitment, teaching him how to manage difficult and high-stakes conversations with accomplished candidates. 

Though Tom recalls Carolyn being a coach and mentor, he also recounts how she gave him the space to fail, so he could learn from his own mistakes. 

Listen in to hear how this experience set up Tom for a successful career in executive recruitment, and how his best boss ever helped him learn the importance of composure, compassion, and collaboration. 

New solutions for old challenges

In Episode 66 of the Best Boss Ever podcast, Christine chats with Jason Gart, Vice President of History Associates Incorporated. 

Jason talks about his current boss, Beth, who he describes as a transformational leader. She’s helped the business grow by rethinking how things are done–and has never hesitated to push others onto center stage. She helped the company raise its rates to make it significantly more profitable, while effectively communicating with clients who were happy to pay more for the incredible service they’d been receiving. 

Listen to learn how Beth played a critical role in enabling the company’s growth by building trust, empowering people, and delegating effectively.

Looking back on 2023: Part two

In Episode 65, part two of our 2023 recap of the Best Boss Ever podcast, we continue to revisit a selection of our favorite episodes from last year, bringing together some of the most valuable insights, respected traits and unforgettable anecdotes that have shaped today’s leaders.  

Listen in to hear why sometimes parents are the best (and most memorable) bosses, how the most impactful leaders trust their gut and their employees, and why it’s important to break the rules every once in a while.

Looking back on 2023

In episode 64, part one of our 2023 recap of the Best Boss Ever podcast, we look back on some of the year’s most memorable conversations and dive into the tidbits of wisdom today’s standout leaders learned from the bosses who showed them the ropes. 

Listen in to see why difficult feedback is best delivered by leaders who’ve demonstrated genuine care for their teams, how productivity is made possible by unlocking someone’s motivations and ensuring they feel valued, and why you need to work hard to get the honest feedback that will propel your success.

Actions speak louder than words

In Episode 63 of the Best Boss Ever podcast, Christine connects with Jessica Schultchen, director of strategic operations at the Government of Alberta and a former public-school teacher.

Jessica’s had so many great bosses but speaks to one who’s really special–who went above and beyond. He was the principal when Jessica was a teacher and was a true “servant leader” who implemented the practice of lifelong learning. 

She explains how he aligned the way he worked to the needs of each staff member for the greater good of the school and its students, how he helped them assess their goals and the processes that would be required to get there and was able to spark enthusiasm even in difficult situations.

True leadership is about everybody else

In Episode 62 of the Best Boss Ever podcast, Christine speaks to Marianne Haegeli, director of learning and leadership at NSITE. 

Marianne’s been fortunate enough to learn from three leaders who she’d describe as the best bosses ever. Each one had a huge influence on her career. 

These three were the bosses that immediately figured out what made her tick so they could uplift her, showcased incredible integrity and transparency, took her expertise seriously, and weren’t afraid to think (and work!) outside the box.