In 2005, I helped coach my son’s little league baseball team to the championship.  At the end of the season, a father said to me that his son wanted to quit baseball after the prior year; the coach didn’t give his son a chance, played favorites, wasn’t a very good teacher.   He said that his learned under me, and was given a chance to pitch and prove himself.  Most importantly, he said his son couldn’t wait to pay again next year.

I was very fortunate to have some great bosses when I was young in my career.  They took an interest in me, taught me sales and marketing and re-affirmed my choice of pursuing a career in marketing and communications.  But I also saw some pretty bad bosses, “anti-leaders” that crushed other young professionals’ dreams before those dreams every had a chance to materialize.  Some of those folks completely changed career paths due to bad leadership.  Who knows what they could’ve become with better teachers and mentors?

Don’t be the leader or person that crushes dreams, extinguishes hope.  Be the person that inspires, builds, encourages and creates and environment where everyone believes they can achieve great things and become more of who they were meant to be.