Manager's Guide to Employee Engagement

Chapter 2Are You a Manager or a Leader? Becoming the “Best Boss Ever”

I had the privilege of working with a woman named Patricia Hipps, who as a supervisor developed some of the most engaged employees I had the opportunity to know. A few times I served on the interview team that hired new supervisors in the office where Pat worked and, more often than not, the final candidates were former employees of Pat’s. In fact, many of them told me the reason they aspired to management could be traced back to Pat’s nature and character.

One winter, a blizzard hit the region of Pat’s office. When employees called in that morning to see if the office would remain open, they were told the roads were bad and they could take the day off if they wanted.

Pat lived ...