People you like or admire, what do they do?

I like someone who is capable of making something out of "nothing".

If that was an executive I was working for, neither one of us might be tasked with starting with nothing at all any more, but if the proven capability is there then the amount of leverage when starting with truly abundant resources will be through the roof.

If I'm the one operationally leveraging the resources under nominal conditions, and who I'm working for doesn't have deep enough experience handling much more extreme leverage themself, they're never going to fully appreciate the upside I would like to bring to the shareholders.

It doesn't make sense for me to be working for someone that doesn't have some kind of core background like that, or they'll never be able to grasp but a fraction of the possibilities that can't be realized any other way.

Another key factor is integrity. It has got to be there in everything set out to be accomplished, and ideally you're adding true value more so than extracting it.

But what I really find interesting and makes me want to work for somebody, is when they are a sharp enough business operator to get it all done without any disadvantage to anyone else at all.

We all know how rare that is but also that it can be done, so why not?

The best boss I ever had took this approach: “My position and title mean nothing. The legacy I leave will be the success that each person under me ultimately has.” He took his leadership role as a servant focused on the wellbeing of those under him. This created an amazing environment to work in.