The Magical Manager

So, who is this guy?

When I began working with Jack Zoellner, I was told by my coworkers that Jack was really a great software developer and I became curious about his history and success as a developer. I searched for him on LinkedIn and found that he had worked as a contractor for many years. He later explained that being a contractor gave him a unique perspective with regard to bosses; both good and bad.

I was fortunate to have been able to attend an event where Jack was speaking. The purpose of the event was to bring friends, family, and anyone else the speakers could find to come see them speak and get feedback to improve. I attended because Jack is a coworker of mine who works hard, inspires others, and was a positive source of energy around the office.

We only got to listen to him for 30 minutes before providing him with feedback but I would have personally liked to hear him for an hour. He was offering us all a great deal of good information and I felt he was just scratching the surface of his understanding of people.

Jack has an amazing sense of humor that can light up any room in an instant. While working with him, he frequently brought smiles to our morning meetings with his facial expressions and jokes. Don’t be fooled though, around the office he was seen as a talented developer with deep experience, focus, efficiency, and skill.

What’s this even about?

After speaking, Jack offered me a copy of his book. Like his speech, the book is about relationships. According to Jack, the main reason people leave jobs is because they have a bad boss. A bad boss treats people like assets, so treat people like people!

“People don’t quit jobs… they quit bosses”

While listening to Jack speak about his experience as an employee and a boss I wrote down some points which I thought were profound for me. Here they are:

  • People don’t quit jobs… they quit bosses
  • People assume you dont want to work but…
  • People WANT to work!
  • People look at your resume like they are buying a car
  • Share a bit of yourself with your employees, and treat them with respect and honor
  • Find out what your employees care about
  • Let the teams try things… and have their backs if they fail!
  • Give them power… REAL POWER!
  • Southwest 47 years profitability - by treating their employees and customers great
  • Organizations are like organisms
  • Relational power (friendships) is more powerful than situational power (being the boss)

Meet Jack and have him speak at your event!

Jack Zoellner is already a successful speaker. He can teach you, your team, and your company to build better relationships while also keeping it fun. This is not just another seminar about being nice to coworkers. It’s about transforming your place of work so that all involved can brag that is was the best place they ever got to work.

Check out Jack’s blog, contact him to speak at an event, or buy his book!

2022

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2021

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2020

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