How to Find a “Good Boss” and the Battle of Trafalgar

When I first graduated and was looking for a job, I never thought about what I want from a manager. I probably selected the highest paid job at the time.

After years of working and having experienced both good managers and toxic ones, today I put the heaviest weight on the quality of my employer/manager when considering the next move. I’d take a pay cut for a better manager and more interesting work.

How’s selecting a good boss related to the Battle of Trafalgar?

Hang tight for a second!

What’s on your wishlist for a “Good Boss”?

For me:

• Someone who is experienced and knowledgeable in the field — so that I can learn from the best.
• Someone who is humble and empowering — so I can thrive with my creativity and be respected for the path I choose.
• Someone who is a clear, reasonable and logical communicator — so brainstorming, bouncing ideas can be fun, fruitful and rewarding.

There are other characteristics that are important to me but much harder to detect at the initial interviews, such as fairness, consistency, growth opportunities etc. I’ll cover some of those topics in a future post!

What’s on your list? Leave a comment!

Tactical and adaptive performance during the Battle of Trafalgar

On the 21st of October 1805, the British fleet, under Horatio Nelson’s command, met the combined French and Spanish fleets, under French Admiral Pierre-Charles Villeneuve, for one of the most famous naval battles in history, off Cape Trafalgar, Spain.

Nelson’s plan for Trafalgar, was allocating ships to two columns and sailing at full speed to the enemies, with the intention to:

Break through the combined fleet (of Villeneuve’s), and isolate the ships at the rear, defeating them before those at the front were able to turn and come to their aid.

This was the tactical piece of the plan. However, Nelson also said to his captains, “after we do this, I can’t possibly predict what’s going to happen.”

The rest had to be left within the hand of each of his captains.

Let’s hear Neel Doshi explains the two-sided performance during a Talk at Google (very…