From the moment I hired my first employee, my goal was to be the best boss I could be; the kind of leader I had always dreamed of working for.

Building a solid team is no easy task and it would be an impossible task if I weren’t up to the challenge of being a better boss every single day.   And I must be doing something right because I have an incredible team of driven people who truly get what we’re doing, where we’re going and how we’re going to get there!  And they all seem to really enjoy their job!

The following values have helped me to become the leader I am today:

Honesty – I am 100% honest with my team 100% of the time.  I am a boss of my word.   I am also direct, focused and uncompromising when it comes to the direction of my vision, and if I want my staff to appreciate these values, I have to be truthful 100% of the time— even when my voice shakes or when it means somebody may get hurt or if I have to fire somebody I really like.  It is not always easy but being honest is always worth it.

Integrity – This goes hand in hand with honesty.  Doing the right thing when nobody is looking is as important as speaking the truth.  My staff knows that no matter what is going on we always do the right thing. Our mission involves looking after vulnerable people after all!

Optimistic – If I am not optimistic about what the future has in store for my growing vision, how can I expect my staff to be?  No matter what’s going on in the business— a difficult client, a shortage of health care professionals for our shift requests, everyday growing pain—I am sure to bring the optimism!

Supportive – I want to make sure each team player has a job that complements them and that they have the tools to do it well.  I encourage my staff to find ways to make their job as purposeful as possible and will implement any good ideas immediately.  I am there for them when it’s tough and I am cheering them on with their successes.  I have their back and they have mine too.

Sense of humour – When all else fails, you’ve got to laugh and there’s nobody I enjoy laughing with more than my team.  The laughs in the office are many and they are important because as a rapidly growing company with a boatload of growing snafus, I really want our office to be a fun place to work.

These are some of the things I do to be the best boss that I can be.  I am not perfect but I am approachable, eager to learn and not afraid to be vulnerable in this position.  What works for you?