14 Surprising Ways Your Boss Can Change Your Career Forever

14 Surprising Ways Your Boss Can Change Your Career Forever14 Surprising Ways Your Boss Can Change Your Career ForeverNot all bosses are great, but many end up having a huge impact on our lives. From helping us become better employees to pushing us toward something better, early managers can seriously influence our future career paths.To find out how bosses- good and bad- have made a difference in their former employees lives, we asked 14 young entrepreneurs from YEC to share the best thing a former boss had ever done for them. Hint Some of their answers might surprise you1. Fired MeAt my last company, my boss could see that I welches way overqualified and underpaid for the job. But he also knew that if he didnt fire me, Id never leave. When I got fired, he explained this to me. I then started my own thing, and six years later I still do consulting work for him, and hes become one of my best friends. Getting fired can be the best gift any employer could give you.- John Rampton, Adogy 2. Gave Me ExposureWhen I worked in a very well-known Fortune 500 company, my boss gave me broad leeway to take some innovative risks. And when the risks panned out, she gave me the opportunity to present to the CEO (one of the most well-known CEOs in America). She could have easily taken the opportunity herself, but wanted me to have the exposure and the chance to present to him and his entire leadership team.- Susan LaMotte, Exaqueo3. Told Me Not to Get Into the BusinessI was in college and my first and only internship was at Morgan Stanley. My coach actually suggested that even if I was offered a job there after the internship, I shouldnt take it, because I was much better at doing my own thing than working for a hedge fund doing analysis. He said, Derek, you and me can give a client the same advice, but because you dont have white hair, they will listen to me and not you, so dont waste your time here.- Derek Capo, Next Step China4. Believed in MeMy former boss continuously commu nicated that he valued my talent and believed in me. When I started my own company, he was there as a sounding board and was quick to offer valuable advice when I needed it.- Ashley Mady, Brandberry5. Told Me He Didnt Pay Me to Have IdeasOn one of my last days as an employee, the owner of the company said to me, I dont pay you to have ideas. I pay you to implement the ideas I give you. In that instant, I realized that I didnt want to spend another day working for someone with such a ludicrous, screwed-up perspective on leadership. That was all the encouragement I needed to start my own company- a company where ideas from all employees are encouraged and appreciated.Brittany Hodak, ZinePak6. Forced Me to Make 500 Cold Calls a DayMy boss at a private wealth management internship required me to make 500 cold calls every day to drum up leads for his practice. While I hated it at the time, I became super comfortable getting on the phone and cold calling strangers. I no longer make cold c alls, but that experience has made me much better on the phone, which is a vital skill in any business.- Josh Weiss, Bluegala7. Held Me AccountableOne boss that stands out in my mind encouraged my independence but held me accountable for all of my accounts. He assured me hed always have my back, but asked that I never give him a reason not to. It made me want to make him proud and work harder. It taught me the importance of being self-motivated and a leader in my own right.- Amanda L. Barbara, Pubslush8. Took Long Coffee Breaks With MeEarly on, I had a manager who would take me to our clients cafeteria almost every afternoon- where wed talk, only sometimes about work. ur discussions flowed on, often lasting over an hour. Was he bored? Lazy? Couldnt be further from the truth. He got to know me in a way that no other manager ever would. When it came time for feedback, Ive never listened closer.- Aman Advani, Ministry of Supply9. Made Me a Real Part of the TeamNo matter what the task o r where the next meeting or project as a young employee was, he would always include me and make me feel as if I were a major part of the process and company. This little thing truly had an impact on me and showed me the importance of making everyone on your team or in your company a major priority at all times.- Jason Grill, JGrill Media Sock 10110. Taught Me Mental ToughnessA former boss of mine was a PhD psychotherapist and taught me what mental toughness was- how to harness the power of my mind and focus to achieve whatever I wanted out of life. He taught me how to visualize and focus, and how to plan and stick to the plan no matter how difficult it got. We would have lots of long conversations, and he showed me how setting small goals and daily achievements helps to move you toward your bigger goal.- Brandon Dempsey, GoBRANDgo11. Supported Me When it Was Time to LeaveThe greatest thing a previous boss has ever done for me was support me when I knew it was time to leave. Ive ta ken that same conversation and applied it towards multiple employees at my company. Anyone battling with a life-changing decision around employment deserves strong support, especially after theyve been so supportive in helping me build my business.- Jeff McGregor, Dash12. Transferred Me and Beat Me Senseless with WorkI initially worked as an intern during high school at FSLR, around the time of its IPO. It was not what I was expecting. The VP of strategy, Ray Immelman, met me during my first official business trip and initially wrote me off. I worked to be excellent the first day it ended with a steak dinner. Afterwards, he transferred me and then overloaded me with work. He set an impossibly high bar, which pushed me to learn far beyond my years.- Alec Bowers, Abraxas Solutions13. Lied About Me to the hauptplatineAt my last job before I took the entrepreneurial leap, my boss lied to the board about why I was doing a poor job so he could fire me. While he thought he was hurting me ( and it did hurt at the time), I ultimately got the last laugh, as it was the momentum I needed to go it alone and start my first company.- Darrah Brustein, Network Under 40 / Finance Whiz Kids14. Let Me Listen to His Phone ConversationsBack when I sold carpet for a living, my boss Gary let me listen to his phone conversations with customers who had problems. That is where I learned the value of patience, problem resolution, and (most importantly) respect for people. - Vladimir Gendelman, Company Folders, IncPhoto of people courtesy of Shutterstock.