Group Chat Litty: What's Your "Good" Boss Story?
Everyone deserves to work with an awesome leader. Let's uplift each other with proof that they exist.
Sorry for the silence last week, I was on vacation skiing in Switzerland. It was simply and truly amazing.
Did I miss anything?
Aye, yai, yai. 2025. What. Is. Happening. Here. I’ve appreciated the memes about getting a refund. If I wasn’t overseas, I would’ve been cashing that in too. Although, I did fully accept the pity oozing out of the Verbier locals.
“You poor Americans,” they’d quip in their heavy French accents.
“Oui. C'est très mauvais.” [Fact-checking note: I could only say the first part.]
My brief break from reality came at a fortunate time, but it diverted me from the topic at hand this month on Fire Edits: leadership.
I’m always startled when someone says “I love my boss.” It’s not a phrase I hear often, most likely because hearing about a shitty or terrible boss is a much more popular storyline. Horrible Bosses, anyone?
(Plus, if being in media has taught me anything, it’s that negativity will usually outperform positivity. Sadly. People complain the news is so fear-mongering and pessimistic, but that’s because audiences show us that’s what they’ll watch and click on. We have stacks of up-to-the-minute data to prove it. For every feel-good story we’d love to publish, there’s a doomsday angle—and in an industry where the number of views matters, guess which will run first. The same goes for most stories shared amongst friends when it comes to work: give me your drama, your scandals, your HR nightmares. You and your work wife’s inside jokes? They pale in comparison. Sadly.)
When someone tells me they love their boss, I want to delve into the details.
“Why?”
“What are they doing for you? What makes working with them so enjoyable?”
“What’s your dynamic like? Are you chatting all day on Slack like friends? Or is it more of a distant respect kind of thing?”
Given their rarity, the “good” boss stories are awesome reminders that there are many people out there who are taking their leadership responsibilities seriously. That, or they have incredible people skills that enamor their direct reports. Either way, it’s great to know these dynamics exist.
Showing up to work when you love your boss is a dreamy perk that not everyone gets to enjoy… ahem, much like 6-day trips to the Swiss Alps.
Last week, my friends were DM’ing me, “Ugh, I’m living vicariously through you right now!” I told them all that I wished they were in Switzerland too, and I meant it. Everyone should get to experience that natural beauty, that fondue, that aprés ski dancing (ugh!) firsthand.
Similarly, everyone should get to experience a healthy and high-functioning workplace led by a strong and honorable boss firsthand. But, just knowing that these kinds of working relationships are actually playing out right now in offices everywhere can keep us all feeling positive.
And we could use that now more than ever, right?