A career or a boss - Is it really a choice?

On multiple occasions, I have come across a statement - "Choose the boss, not the job; a good boss will get you the opportunities you deserve". It is pretty much a fact at this point that most people quit jobs these days not out of frustration for the job or company but because of a bad boss. Again, this is what I read. Whenever I read such articles, I pause and wonder if they are really true. Is a good boss everything? If yes, are you willing to stay in a job that doesn't make you happy just because you have a great relationship with your boss? If not, doesn't it make more sense to leave the security and comfort of a good boss-employee relationship and start focusing on the direction your career should take?

Reflecting on my own (admittedly limited) experiences, I have had a boss who was the main reason I quit a job, a boss who was caring and sensitive, a boss who was friendly and welcoming, a boss who was dynamic but a little intimidating and a boss who is invested in me enough to constantly teach me new things. Considering the fact that with the exception of 1, I've been very fortunate in my career to have had really good equations with my bosses, according to that statement, I shouldn't have ever changed jobs at all. Why did I? It was because I felt I needed something more challenging to grow. I wanted to get to the next step in my career. I wanted something new.

Along with a good boss-employee relationship, I have also been blessed with amazing teammates. Hence, I would extend that statement to not just say choose your boss but also your team. A boss heavily influences the team dynamics so I have to acknowledge that. In my case, my bosses and teams have become so much more than just colleagues. I will be the first to admit that a big reason of my wanting to go to the office every single day is to see those smiling faces and enjoy our morning chats, sharing pictures/stories of our pets or kids, enjoying coffee breaks in the cafeteria and chatting about pretty much everything under the sun, getting advice from them and even getting bullied by them! This was all as much a part of my work experience as is my day to day responsibilities at work. The covid-19 crisis has only reinforced the importance of these interactions.

Having said all that, isn't it also important to focus on building your career? Especially when you are pretty much at the beginning of it in the first place? If yes, at what point do you muster the courage to make a switch when there is always the risk of a "bad boss"? If that happens, the statement in question rings true. But had I not taken that leap once, I wouldn't have landed my current boss and team who are just as good as my previous team. I got lucky! Should I take that leap once again? Should I push my luck? At some point, its bound to run out! Maybe that's when I will stop questioning this!

I will be the first to admit, I have had numerous occasions when I have decided not to take up a new opportunity because I am afraid to lose a great boss and an amazing team. I have justified it to myself and put off the hard decision by telling myself that there is still a lot to learn at my current job. But, after a certain point, I just knew it was time to move on. It's that drive in me that tells me that while my boss and my team are important to me, my career is even more important. Hence at this stage in life, I don't agree with choosing the boss over the job. If I am indeed given a choice, I will choose the job and hope that I can build the same relationship with the boss that I have with my previous bosses. However, I also want to acknowledge that in today's uncertain job market, there might be a time when I'm not lucky enough to even get the choice. Hence to feel entitled enough to think I have a choice, would be wrong!

I have chosen jobs over bosses and so far, they have worked in my favor and have given me amazing relationships that I will cherish for life. They have given me the confidence to step out of my comfort zone and build my career without fear of future relationships and that according to me, is the real power of a good boss, something I hope to emulate soon!