I’ve been lucky to have worked for some inspiring bosses, and I’ve learned a heap from them. Thanks to all of you – you know who you are. Some of the lessons that immediately come to mind – from the practical to the philosophical – are listed below.

1. Learn to use Styles in MS Word. Your work will look better, and it will save you hours.
2. Don’t wait for a perfect solution, or perfect information. Do the best you can with what you have, and make progress.
3. Sometimes the best way to help someone learn and develop is not by giving them the answers, but by asking them the right questions, or helping them ask the right questions.
4. You’ll never please everyone. Do what you think is right, and back yourself to get it right more often than not.
5. Time spent preparing well is time well spent.
6. Work on your self awareness. Be honest about your weaknesses. Play to your strengths. Hire a team who are strong where you’re weak. Empower your team to play to their strengths.
7. If you’re going to do it, do it well.
8. Your team are people first.
9. Listen well. Practice listening well. Practice some more.
10. The only bad news is late news. No surprises.

I’m not professing expertise or perfection in these areas. Some have been learned the hard way. Many are a work in progress, and some will probably always require a lot of effort.

What are some of the most important effectiveness, leadership and management lessons you’ve learned?