A thank-you note for all the tough bosses who went unloved

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. In the middle of a hectic news cycle, I once managed to get about six byline credits in the newspaper I worked for. Elated, I took screen grabs of the articles that had my name and shared them with my family in the hope that the word spreads.

Until a few years ago, my count of personal connections was more than that of my social media followers. Hence, word of mouth was the best bet for that ego kick. The giddy sensation that comes with seeing your name appear many times in a single edition of a news daily got wiped out with one call around 8.30am.

It was from my boss, who in turn had got a call from a super-boss. There was a 75-word brief that had appeared in another newspaper that we had missed. It was a regulatory filing that I forgot to check or may have noted but forgot to follow up.

And although the call began with a virtual pat on the back for many stories done, my error was raised soon enough. I was directed to follow up on the rival newspaper’s report and reminded to keep track of all regulatory filings on my coverage beat, so that there would be no such “miss" again. At that moment, my feelings towards my seniors were not very charitable.

In fact, I was downright angry at them for robbing my sense of achievement. Now, many years later, I can make out the lesson that phone call taught me. Pausing to savour a good day’s work meets a need for self-affirmation, but rejoicing for too long on one’s laurels can be detrimental to professional growth.