Thank You, HCGS

Today was “Boss’s Day.” As I thought about this peculiar holiday, I began to wonder who came up with the idea. Was it some conniving supervisor looking to drum up support? Far from it.

According to a quick web search, the credit for “National Boss’s Day” goes to one Patricia Bays Haroski, who registered the holiday with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce in order to honor her boss, who coincidentally, was also her father. The idea caught on and within ten years, this moment of appreciation was being celebrated throughout the country and within twenty years it was celebrated in countries around the globe.

I have a difficult time with this holiday, probably because I struggle with appreciation. In my view, it is the “boss” who should be appreciating the employees, and not the other way around. Every day should be “Staff Appreciation Day” with gifts and cards and songs of praise.

Of course, I think this because I work with the world’s best staff, and they deserve all that and so much more.

So when they turn around and buy me gifts and tell me thank you, well I always feel a little unworthy. Each year, after each nice gesture, I chide myself for not doing more to deserve this day. It never fails to inspire me to live up the expectation that I be worthy of a day in my honor. But each year, I still don’t think I’m there yet.

I guess it all comes down to how you define “boss,” a title I have never learned to love. To me the word means, “a person who make decisions and exercises authority, dominates, etc.” as well as “To order about. To be master of or over.”

Neither of these definitions describe me or my leadership style, so every year on “Boss’s Day” I tell the staff to please not consider me their boss. I have never believed in “top down” management and prefer to reverse the paradigm. In my mind, the “boss” is on the bottom, holding everyone else up above them. My job is to support and to inspire, to fill in where needed and to help those above me to reach consensus on important decisions, while making the smaller decisions that keep things running smoothly to allow them to do their job. The workers, in this case the teachers, paras and support staff, are a lot more important than the “boss.”

The truth is that we are all on the same level, working together towards a common mission – to help young people grow and reach their potential. It is not about me, and it is not even about us, it is about them, the students.

So on a day where it is “about me” I can’t help but pause and reflect. I am so blessed to work with such dedicated and talented people. I am so blessed to be in a position where I can make a difference in the lives of so many.

So to the staff of HCGS, I extend a heartfelt THANK YOU. I am honored to be your “boss” and will continue to work to be worthy of your appreciation. And thank you to Patricia Bays Haroski for creating this holiday. While it may make me a little uncomfortable, the reflection and inspiration that follows makes’ “Boss’s Day” a worthwhile moment in my year.