I have posted a couple blogs lately on bad employees. However, I don’t think I have ever praised the ones who are doing an amazing job. Hence, I am using this post to list those who have taught me a lot about the manager I wanted to be and have inspired me to do the right thing, even if it would have been strategically better for me at times to do the opposite.
1. Horst Schmidt – my school teacher.
Horst had me from 7th grade on, all the way through graduation. This man stood by me no matter what. When I was about to screw up my apprenticeship at the court, he called up my boss and explained my situation to her. He was there for me like a father and I am in contact with him to this day. If more teachers would apply themselves the way he did, the world would be a better place. He also taught all of us to be accountable. He was fair and laid back, unless you tried to cheat the system.
2. Waltraud Hoppner – Municipal Court, Germany
Let me tell you about this woman. I was one confused and damaged teenager when I started my apprenticeship at the court, to become a court administrator/paralegal. She sure as hell had a hard time with me, because I couldn’t focus, and used being the class clown to overcompensate for my insecurities. She was my “teacher” and manager for two years and she believed in me. She consistently told me that I could do it, that I was intelligent and that I could be so much more, if I would apply myself. She lead with kindness and humor and she started my path into adulthood and business.
3. Bob Peterson – LRN
I think it is fair to say that I would not have been more ill cast in any career, than when I tried being an executive assistant. At my previous job I had one of those managers I vowed to never be. So when I started working for Bob I was a wreck. I was too afraid to talk to him, because I was used to being talked down to and being abused by my previous boss. After only one week Bob called me into his office and asked me what I was doing. He told me that he needed me to be his right hand and could not afford to have an assistant who was too afraid to even speak to him. When I weakly responded how I wasn’t sure that I had permission, his answer was “Have I ever NOT given you permission?” Bob turned my meek, scared demeanor into a competent assistant. He would call me into meetings grinning and announcing that he called me in because I obviously was one of the most creative people in the place (must have been my funny looks).
Bob never talked down to me, but he always treated me like an equal, even though he was an executive. When the company did a mass lay off he saved me and insured they didn’t let me go. I never forgot how kind, competent, intelligent and fair he was. I figured I wanted to be a boss like him one day.
4. Jae Sung – Yahoo
Poor Jae! He inherited me when I had very little management knowledge, and still felt I needed to speak my mind…ALWAYS! He taught me one of the most valuable lessons in business “Don’t ever horde responsibility or knowledge. If you do, people will just find a way to get around you and then you truly did make yourself obsolete!” I lead by that until today and have never withheld my knowledge or expertise from my employees. He taught me that the best manager is one who is truly not “needed,” but one who creates a team that is self-sufficient, competent and empowered. Jae never lost his cool and even though he left Yahoo years ago, he still has my back to this day.
Thanks Jae, this got me laid off at Yahoo, but I wouldn’t change it for anything in the world and when I am in management again, I will do it over! 
5. Jason Dorn – Yahoo
Jason taught me patience. He was the one who taught me how to deal with delusional folks. He taught me to not buy into people’s stories of victimhood and hold them accountable in a calm and straight forward manner. He fought for me, as he would for all of his direct reports. He is one of the smartest, most competent people I have ever met, and one of the few who are equally as good in project management, as he is in people management. Jason also never loses his cool, but is straight forward and doesn’t beat around the bush.
And here are a few people I didn’t report directly to, but they inspired me nontheless:
1. Erick Herring – LRN
Erick was one of the techy VPs and I assisted him when I didn’t have anything from Bob. Erick was the one who pointed out to me one day that I am probably at times my worst enemy. I told him how I am impressed with people who know so much about IT and technical stuff. He then asked me how many languages I speak and if I liked music. I told him that I know two languages fluently and studied Latin in school for a couple of years. I also told him that I loved singing and have an ear for music. He laughed and told me that math is in the same part of the brain as language and music, and that I am probably better at math or physics as I think I am. Turns out, he was right.
2. Kim Furzer – Yahoo
Kim wasn’t my direct boss. Well, she did manage me for a couple months, but that was only in the interim between managers. Kim taught me that having a strong personality is actually an asset in business. She taught me that it doesn’t matter how I dress or how many tattoos I sport, because the right people/company will immediately recognize my strengths and not care about that. She gave me more confidence and always encouraged my straight-forwardness.
3. Lynne Secrest – Yahoo
I can honestly say, there has never been a better HR director than this woman. Talk about a wealth of knowledge regarding workman’s comp, labor law, PIPs, coaching, performance management and all the other neat stuff one has to do as a manager. Lynne was highly regarded by everyone, executives, managers and employees. She was fair and always willing to help and man, she helped me out a lot with difficult employees or situations. I could always count on Lynne and when Yahoo laid her off for political reasons I was so outraged that I sent an email to Yahoo’s head of HR (no, I didn’t do this from an emotional spur of the moment place, but was encouraged by an executive, who told me “I may want to share my thoughts”). When Lynne got laid off the entire management and executive staff was outraged. But Lynne kept her good sense of humor and of course, being the woman she is, had a job within weeks. It was actually Lynne who redid my resume after Yahoo laid me off, haha. I miss working with her.
4. Reggie Davis – Yahoo
Talk about an inspiration! Reggie was both, an executive AND a lawyer. This makes generally a recipe for a true jerk in the business world, but not with Reggie. The man had a passion and integrity that blows mine to shreds. Never afraid to call it for what it is, speaking his mind and yet never making a fool out of himself. He was knowledgeable, incredibly intelligent, funny and highly loyal to the company and those who reported to him. Always willing to make people aware of issues with systems and policies, he ran a great ship in a battle he couldn’t have won. Hence, Reggie quit, after over 10 years. He taught me that being at the top does not equal being a jerk, self-serving, mean-spirited or indifferent.
I am definitely a better woman, employee and manager due to all of these folks. Hence, “thank you,” from the bottom of my heart. I wished there were more of you guys around!
