The Gentlewoman Boss with Michelle Horlbogen

After getting a call one morning that I'd been fired just days after voicing ethical concerns to my employer, I found myself really thinking about what it means to be a good Leader and Boss.

I needed to restore my faith in the employer/employee relationship, particularly in women working for and with other women.

My experience made it painfully apparent that, close on the heels of the Me Too Movement, was another sinister and rarely discussed threat in the workplace: women harassing and bullying other women.

The Mean Girls are now The Mean Bosses, and even the men are running scared.

I had always admired the notion of a "Gentleman" and the noble qualities that define him. While the modern definition of the term has evolved somewhat, the core qualities and traits remained the same. But what about a "Gentlewoman"? Did the traits that define a gentleman also define a gentlewoman? I concluded yes. 

The Gentlewoman Boss believes that the qualities and traits that define one as a gentleman or gentlewoman are critical goals that everyone should strive to emulate. After all, everyone is "A Boss or Leader" - at the very least, of one's own life as an individual. In addition, we may be a wife or husband. A mother or father. A career woman or man that has been entrusted with the role of leadership, thereby affecting the lives of many.

That raises the question: What kind of a boss and leader are we? Are we "The Gentlewoman Boss" or "The Bully Boss"? 

Regardless of the boss or leadership role we've been entrusted with in our lives, the kind of boss and leader we are matters. Now more than ever there is a need for leaders and bosses to hold themselves to a higher standard and to set the example for those they serve.

My mission became clear: To foster civility, respect and integrity in the boardroom and beyond . . . and I invite you to join me on my quest.