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The Qualities of Great Bosses

One Friday morning, coffee in hand, I read an article on LinkedIn by Jeff Haden, titled 8 Qualities that Make Great Bosses Unforgettable.

I didn’t think much of it until the end of the day when I had a moment to appreciate how amazing my boss really is. Haden is so right.

Read the article and consider your own company. Does your boss fit this description of a great boss? My boss certainly does. Based on Haden’s article, the following is a tribute to my boss, Steve Klare.

1. They believe the unbelievable.

In 1983, Steve founded Intercept Technology. He was employed at Lockheed-Martin at the time, and saw that his department was either going to relocate him or lay him off. Rather than move his young family, who had just settled into their newly-built home in an Atlanta suburb, he decided to put his skills to use as an electrical engineer. He began working contracts privately, and slowly but surely built a business that became an EDA software vendor. The growth was unbelievable. Years of stability have followed, and I have been part of it.

2. They see opportunity in instability and uncertainty.

In 2001, while we were at PCB East in Worcester, Massachusetts, I watched the twin towers fall. My boss, a colleague, and I rented a car and drove in shifts all the way back to Atlanta without stopping. We had no idea what to think. But Steve predicted that military contracts were going to heat up, and that we were going to forge ahead with new products. He hung an American flag at the front door of our office and told us the best thing we could do was get to work. So we did, with pride in our hearts and renewed energy.

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Editor's Note: This column originally appeared in the November 2014 issue of The PCB Design Magazine.