8 life lessons Ive learned from bosses over the years

8 life lessons Ive learned from bosses over the years8 life lessons Ive learned from bosses over the yearsBetween gettinglaid off twicein 2017, as well as promotions and freelance roles at otzu sich companies, Ive had a lot of bosses over the years. Although they were all very different, they had one thing in common They all taught me something that Ive kept with me from job to job. Heres what I learned from them, and how its helped me grow in my career.1. Dont limit yurselfWhen you abflug out in your career, its easy to be super excited and motivated to succeed. But some people might want you to slow down and focus on the job thats right in front of you. While its important to keep your head down and work hard, its also important to dream big and think ahead. Dont let a boss put you in a box. Keep that motivation and stay inspired to succeed. Do the job you have really well, and then aspire to do more. Otherwise, youll end up limiting yourself to what youre currently doing and may s tray from reaching all ofyour career goals.2. Age doesnt matterI once had a manager who welches younger than me. I didnt know it for a long time, and it didnt matter whatsoever. My boss knew everything about the company and welches really good at her job. She was a great listener, always willing to help and knew how to keep our team calm when things got stressful. Whether your manager is 20 years your senior or a few years younger than you, theyre still your boss and theyre in that role for a reason. Respect them and then learn as much as you can from them.3. Network always.When youre working, its important to get to know your coworkers, as well as meet other peers outside of your company. I had a boss once who always promoted coffee dates, informational interviews,networking events and more, both in and out of the office. She told me to find a mentor and make connections as much as possible. Because of her, I learned how important it was to network. Ive continued to schedule coffee dates and meet new people, and its helped me learn more and more about my career path.4. You can never be too preparedIve always been ato-do list maker, but I had a boss once who taught me how important it was to be prepared for every part of my job. From meetings to reports and everything in between, I learned what it meant to be overprepared and how it could really help you stand out among the crowd. From then on, I made sure to go above and beyond with everything I did at work, and I think its helped me grow and succeed in my career.5. Follow your heartI once had a boss who was a product manager. Now, Ive always been on the content side of things, so working for someone who had a more technical eye was a great experience. It was a great job and team, and I learned a lot, but it wasnt the right fit for me. Ultimately, I was recruited to join another company that was in the personal finance content space. My heart wasnt in my current job at the time, but it was in this new company . I gave my two weeks notice, and my boss really didnt want me to leave. However, he understood that I needed to follow my heart. He was supportive and made my last two weeks there the best they could have been. He helped me realize how important it really is todo what you love every day.6. Dont be afraid to manage upWhen you work underneath someone, they usually will manage you, and help you learn and grow. However, its also important to manage up. I had a boss once who was put into a managerial role after not having much experience. We worked very closely together, tag-teaming much of the job at hand, and sometimes I needed to remind her about things. She was so open to everything, from feedback about how best to communicate with me to my reminders about deadlines when her plate was full. Dont be afraid to give your boss feedback. A good manager will take it and apply it, and appreciate your help in making them a better boss.7. Its important to try things youve never done beforeOn e of my more recent jobs was in content marketing. It was a brand new job for me since I had always worked in digital media before that, writing articles for the web and working with social media. My manager had a lot of great experience and I was looking forward to learning a lot of her. However, so much of what I was doing was stuff I had never done before. I was nervous and out of my comfort zone. She reminded me constantly that it was okay and that it was important to continue trying my best. I ultimately realized that the type of work I was doing was just not meant for me, but I appreciated her support while I worked there to learn and grow.8. You cant the best employee unless you first take care of yourselfThe best life lesson I learned from a boss was how important it is to trulyfocus on self-care. Work is important, but you cant be your best self at work if youre not taking time to rest, relax and rejuvenate. Whether its a day off to go to the doctor when you have a cold, or a few days spent at home when theres a loss in your family, my boss stressed the importance of self-care over work. A boss who wholly supports you both in and out of the office is a rare find. If you ever get a chance to work under a manager like that, hold onto them and learn as much as you can. Theyll teach you more than just a few skills to put on your resume. Youll learn how to be a better person, and a great future boss yourself.This article was originally published on Swirled.