Ask for what you want

In Season 2, Ep 13 of the Best Boss Ever podcast, Christine interviews Pam Allen, soon to be CEO at MD Management.  Pam talks about her best boss that thoughtfully reflected when she brought ideas and opportunities to the table.  When she asked for what she wanted, he gave her confidence, allowed her to play big and gave her the space to build her role and her team.  They discuss how leaders need to be curious about their people, the theory of scarcity vs abundance and how great leaders want the best for you and multiply those around them.

Lift heavily as you climb

In Season 2, Ep 12 of the Best Boss Ever podcast, Christine interviews Jennifer Laidlaw, Country Head at 30% Club and Exec in Residence at Toronto Metropolitan University.  Jennifer speaks about the qualities best bosses have to inspire and enable greatness, specifically their passion to uncover, align and recommit to an organization's original purpose to have the impact they were designed to have.  They discuss how one person can spark a huge shift in culture and how resiliency, engagement and trust in leaders impacts retention - Jennifer also shares the 5 true marks of a great leader including 'lift heavily as you climb'.

Inclusiveness counts

In Season 2, Ep 11 of the Best Boss Ever podcast, Christine interviews Atul Tiwari, CEO at Cult Wines Americas.  Atul shares his experience with his best boss who was a great mentor, found the good in anything and anyone, shared his knowledge and taught Atul about the obligation great leaders have to develop people.  They discuss the power of inclusiveness in social settings, building friendships and engagement at work, the importance of active listening and fostering an environment where people can express their opinion in a constructive way.

Encouraging my personality to shine

In Season 2, Ep 10 of the Best Boss Ever podcast, Christine interviews Risa Crandall, SVP CPG Strategy & Sales at Aki Technologies.  Risa speaks about her experience working at the New York Times under her best boss Barbara Litrell, who thrived in a male dominated industry but was thoughtful, considerate and encouraged Risa to embrace her individuality and to bring in her personality, style and passion.  They discuss the value of storytelling, collaboration, how supportive leaders garner loyalty and talk about not losing yourself by conforming to a box that doesn't fit.

We are family

In Season 2, Ep 9 of the Best Boss Ever podcast, Christine interviews Rick Renaud, President & CEO of Renaud Consulting.  Rick's best boss took him under his wing, was a father figure to him and has made him a better person and leader.  This boss left a lasting impression by bringing humour and fun into the workplace, treating his employees like family and making everyone feel individually important and appreciated.  They share stories about the value of a great customer experience, discuss the butterfly effect and how employees go the extra mile for a great boss.

Sending me on a new career path

In Season 2, Ep 8 of the Best Boss Ever podcast, Christine interviews Mary Shannon, Inside Sales Manager at Manulife.  Mary shares stories about her best boss who changed her career path by taking a chance on her and led her on the track to sales.  Jasmina Garbus was invested in her team's development, recognized strengths in others and motivated and empowered her team.  They talk about the importance of networking, excellent communication, building culture and relationships as well as the best simple advice for all leaders. 

Fostering the next generation of leaders

The value of natural consequences

In Season 2, Ep 6 of the Best Boss Ever podcast, Christine interviews Jeff Barrett, Founder of Blue Mountain Wild School.  Jeff speaks about his experiences guiding expeditions in Antarctica and The Arctic, being a landscape architect, leading wilderness adventures and his deep love for wild spaces and places that influenced him to start the Blue Mountain Wild School where children are taught to be their own pilot and learn natural consequences.  They talk about personal accountability, teaching leadership by leading yourself, the lessons from failure, the core values of leadership and how these values can be taught early by learning grit, problem solving, adaptability, perseverance and resilience through nature.

Having a seat at the table

In Season 2, Ep 5 of the Best Boss Ever podcast, Christine interviews Stephanie Wolfe, Strategic Business Leader, Financial Literacy Advocate and Strategic Advisor, Women's Segment at BMO Private Wealth.  Stephanie mentions 4 best bosses - the confidence builder, the heart centred leader, the visionary and the tweaker who all shaped who she became in her career and as a leader.  They talk about being willing to share your thoughts, ambitions and challenges which helps best bosses support you, being challenged to do things in a non-traditional way and how talent and output are the return on investment of having the best boss ever.

Pretend you have done this 100 times

In Season 2, Ep 4 of the Best Boss Ever podcast, Christine interviews Omnia Helbah, Senior Manager of Talent and Organizational Development at the Ontario Ministry of the Attorney General.  Omnia speaks about several bosses that spoke encouragement and belief into her career by having unwavering trust in her and by giving her opportunities to take risks like presenting to a leadership team for the first time at the age of 23.  These leaders saw her potential, supported her, removed roadblocks and gave her executive access to skyrocket her confidence and career.  They talk about representation of marginalized communities, navigating a career with a big family and how the best bosses recognize we are all human.