There are managers who are bullies and managers who are rising stars , managers who are fence sitters and managers who are innovators. But only a very few managers are truly cool.
If you have to ask what it means to be cool ,well, you probably aren’t cool. Being cool means being true to your self. Which often means being seen as a bit of a rebel, challenging some traditional ideas or ways of doing things, on occasions challenging authority. It’s a calm ,relaxed management style, no raised voices, no blame, no drama but clear expectations . It’s reflected in the way you dress for work , less formal, your life outside of work, you have one.
Being calm and relaxed doesn’t mean lacking passion or steel. As you will discover if you try and take advantage or let them down. But being cool is not the same as being popular. Cool managers are not easy to work for you don’t want to disappoint them and that can feel very pressured. But if you had a cool manager you will look back on it as a very good time.
Every Friday after work the younger members of the team went for a curry with the boss. We always went to the same balti house. No alcohol, no football talk no work talk, a little office gossip but always a good laugh. We were a very diverse group in terms of faith, and sexuality. Something I hadn’t realised until people relaxed away from the office and the conversation became more wide ranging and lively. I said younger members of the team but their was one regular team member who attended who was older than all of us and when the conversation turned to other teams and place we had worked he always had some interesting stories about his time in Africa. There was also the partner of one team member who had been in the SAS not that he told us this or ever refers to it but we knew. Basically the boss recruited and knew a lot of interesting people which all contributed to being cool. Someone you looked up to, someone you were comfortable socialising with outside of work but however unconventional and informal you were never in doubt who was the boss.
I wanted to be a boss like this to know my team as individuals, to get the best out of them, to be innovative, to have people look up to me but most of all to be a manager who was true to them selves. To be cool.
Blair McPherson former director author and blogger www.blairmcpherson.co.uk
