[smarterat]

Very early on in my career I had the privilege of working with a manager who shared your father's philosophy. The experience left a lasting impression with me, and has led me to seriously consider whether management is something I'd be good at or would even want to do.

Perhaps most enlightening was her stance on promotion. Our department had been, overall, falling seriously behind and, as a result, the other managers hadn't promoted anyone in many years(!). She and I discussed this one day and, to paraphrase her words, she said: "At the end of each year, there should always be someone ready for the next level or getting close. If there isn't then I haven't done my job; I haven't appropriately challenged them. My goal is the growth of my reports, and their success is mine."