This will be the easiest and best job you’ll ever have. After all, it’s not everyone who gets to work with someone full of creative energy and who gets things done. Someone who makes a difference in the world. Someone who just needs to be pointed in a direction and things happen.
I’ll be the first to admit it might also be the toughest. (OK, second after my wife.) I’ll need your attention to help thrash out ideas before I start running. I’ll need your protection when I ruffle feathers. I’ll need your trust to let me make things happen.
So are there any real qualifications for this job? I’ve thought about it quite a bit over the last few weeks. And the only clear almost un-negotiable one I could come up with is that you have to be a guy. A guy who’s been in a serious and stable relationship for a significant period of time. That’s it. Every boss I’ve worked with well has met that criterion. Weird, huh?
Beyond that, here’s my general thoughts as to what you might look like.
For You:
So are there any real qualifications for this job? I’ve thought about it quite a bit over the last few weeks. And the only clear almost un-negotiable one I could come up with is that you have to be a guy. A guy who’s been in a serious and stable relationship for a significant period of time. That’s it. Every boss I’ve worked with well has met that criterion. Weird, huh?
Beyond that, here’s my general thoughts as to what you might look like.
For You:
- Decent sense of humor. I have excellent eye-rolling skills, so you can be a little corny even.
- Share a passionate interest with me. Could be motorcycles, could be books, could be sci-fi movies, could be anime, could be musicals. But we have to be able to talk about something other than work once in a while.
- Be based where ever you like in Canada, I am ready to move there.
- Don’t have to be creative. (I’ve got that covered.) But it helps that you understand creativity.
- Be good at navigating office politics, but not king of people manipulation.
- Desire to change the world to be a better place. Even if it just means you pick up litter in the parking lot on your way into the office.
- First thing out of your mouth isn’t no, it’s a probing question. Then you can say no.
- Understand thrashing. Do it with me.
- Be OK with failing because you know that means we're trying things.
- Must love dogs.
- Looking for ways to change and innovate whatever industry you’re in. And innovate doesn’t mean paint it pink and market it to women.
- Company culture that is friendly and supportive, but isn’t trying to replace my outside life.
- Company culture that values hard work and hard play.
- Improving the world, even if it’s just by employing people.
