I saw a quote recently that read, “An Employee never forgets the leader that gave them a chance. Be that leader.” I took a screenshot of it because I knew that I really liked it, but I just couldn’t put my finger on why.

It is easy for me to think of the leader who gave me a chance. It was in 2015, and I had just been fired from my first job in the transportation industry. I was worried about my future as I had recently purchased a home and didn’t have the luxury of time on my side to find my next job.

In fact, I wasn’t even sure if I wanted to remain in transportation, based on my performance-related termination.

Out of sheer convenience, I walked into a trucking company that was only a few miles from my house with my resume in hand. This is when I met the leader who took a chance on me, and it forever changed the landscape of my professional career.

The conversation was at least 30 minutes, but it all flowed so naturally that it felt much briefer than that. I was essentially hired on the spot; not based on my work history or industry knowledge, but because he saw something in me.

I like to believe he saw a good person with untapped potential. Someone who could grow into a big part of the business, but also someone that you’d like to be friends with.

Wasn’t smooth sailing

It was not smooth sailing right away. After my training was completed, I was struggling with a few aspects of the job. One day I walked into his office and apologized. I said, “I can’t do this.”

He looked up and said, “Yes, you can. You are a smart guy, and you are going to make mistakes, but you will learn.”

I went back to my desk a little confused, but glad that I had his support. It was only 2.5 months later that I received my first raise, and that was the true start of my career development.

Give people a chance

On the other hand, I recently had an industry friend confide in me that she is looking to change her career path because she can’t imagine reporting to her current manager if she remains in her role.

They say that people don’t leave good companies, they leave bad managers, though in this case she plans on staying with the company but leaving her manager. I don’t think there are many people who aspire to be bad managers; they either think they are doing a great job or they don’t care (a my-way-or-the-highway mentality).

There are lots of courses and books on leadership, though I am undecided if leadership can be taught through books.

You can refine and improve some skills, but leadership is something that you either have or you don’t. I take great pride in some of the people I have helped develop. In many cases, all I have given them is a foot in the door, and they’ve taken it from there. Other times, there is some behind-the-scenes work that has helped push them along their professional journey.

The moral of the story is, be the leader that gives people a chance.