Lesego Setou:Lessons from my bosses

Lesego Setou

A saying goes, show me your friends and I will show you who you are.  I think there is some great truth to that but I also think it’s not only friends that shape us, it’s every soul we cross paths with. Our traits are the sum total of our interactions with different souls in this beautiful journey called life; the traits developed can be good or not so good depending on whom we choose to be and what we understood about that trait. I also think a greater part of the leaders we become is also influenced by the leaders we crossed paths with, those we equally admired and those we did not venerate. I therefore decided to share the beautiful lessons I have learned and strive to embrace as I experienced them from bosses.

Mariekie Gericke- My first boss; a highly focused person with high work ethics, she taught me that reading is an essential part of every person’s work. She encouraged me to always keep abreast of what is happening in my field of expertise. Spent an hour of your day, reading something that will either challenge you to do things different, empower you to be efficient or give you more knowledge about your field of expertise

Gusti Coetzer- Hard working, punctual, these are the two words that come to mind when I think of Gusti. I used to travel with this boss of mine to meetings and never have I seen her late for any meeting, she had respect for time. I also loved how hard she worked; she never expected anything that she could not give

Annelize van Rensburg- This boss believed in me, she is the person who advised me to wear a suit after my initial interview with her, because she knew what I needed to warm my way into the Managing Partner’s heart , she invested time in teaching me the ropes and was never tired of my endless questions

Rene Van Wyk- Always pay attention to detail, I used to cry every time she had to check my reports, but this exercise has paid off, you will never catch me, sending an email or report or anything with spelling mistakes or without proof reading it first

Reshika Ramprsad- Be good at what you do, give your best and know that eventually hard work pays off. I am yet to meet anyone who can do a job with outstanding efficiency and effectiveness as this boss of mine

S’thembile Nene- Trust your people and lead with love and respect. This boss was authentic, cared for your growth in all aspects, technically and financially, many bosses claim to have their people’s interests at heart but very few genuinely care about the financial well being of their subordinates

Brian Khumalo – This boss brought an interesting dimension to my life of work, consciousness, I am at this point engaging the world of employment knowing that there is something bigger to my role and that big thing is that, I am a channel for magnificence and my primary key performance area is to remind others of the greatness they are. Brian was also very good at building relationships

John Jepsen- Work hard and play hard, this boss of mine had a huge appetite for work, but once deadlines are reached, he will then make time to relax, travelling was one of his favourites. I therefore know the importance of taking time off

Jeson Ingraham- With love and kindness you will never go wrong. This boss had a beautiful heart; he genuinely cared for his people, something which we sometimes miss in the world of work.

I have worked with giants, different in some ways, similar in others, but I could have missed it all, if I also did not have a teachable spirit, an attitude that is open to learning and that I got from my first bosses my parents.