Ever since I started this blog, I have been searching my memory for a movie character who would exemplify the "ideal boss." And I don't mean just some harmless person who stays out of your way. Those are not good bosses – they don't bother you, but they don't improve your professional status either. I mean a really-really good boss: someone who pays attention to his employees' progress, to their state of mind; someone who facilitates utilization of employees' potentials to the fullest; someone who goes out of his way for the sake of his subordinates' job satisfaction.
I know it is a mythical creature of Gandalf and Dumbledore proportions. That's why I wasn't looking for real-life examples. I have never met such a boss. And even though I try very hard to be a decent manager myself, my professional existence is too erratic for following through with all good intentions. Moviemakers, on the other hand, are in the business of creating larger-than-life characters that don't necessarily reflect reality, but provide for highly engaging and, in some rare cases, intellectually impactful experiences. Look, Francis Ford Coppola and Mario Puzo gave us a myth of a person for whom honor, love for his wife and children, and fairness were the most important things in life – Vito Corleone. Do people like that exist in real life? Of course, not.
I love and know Cinema. My tastes are very eclectic. I don't go for the mainstream adventure crap of the Clash of the Titans type. But, from Federico Fellini's Casanova to Mike Judge's Idiocracy, from Lars Von Trier's Dogville to Guy Ritchie's Snatch, if it's anywhere between good and brilliant, I saw it. There are American and foreign directors whose filmography I can recite by heart. I go to festivals and have an IFC membership. Surely, I thought, I can come up with a character that fits my description of an ideal boss.
Alas, it was not easy and took me several months of periodic pondering. But last week, it finally hit me. Eurika! I found him! It's the San Franciso Police Department captain in So I Married an Axe Murderer wonderfully portrayed by the great Alan Arkin. This guy not only notices that something is wrong with his employee, Charlie's friend, officer Tony Giardino (Anthony LaPaglia), but he actually listens to his complains. Moreover, for the sake of raising his employee's morale, he goes out of his way and indulges Tony's fantasy.
Just watch (by the way, I am very grateful to whoever smoothly compiled this video, which actually consists of three separate clips from different parts of the movie).
Do bosses like that exist in real life? No, but it's fun to watch and dream.
The Frustrated CFO 
It is fun to watch and dream. In some ways the best boss in cinema, as an archetype, is also the best spouse in history, the best parent in history, and perhaps even the best child in history.
When it comes to the people in our lives, deep down, we know that the friends, lovers, and co-workers who always pat us on the back, don’t really care about us. Or at least they care more about their own non-confrontational sense of peace. Those who care most, know that they have to push or restrain us sometimes. But knowing how far and when to push is a very delicate art; that involves a deep empathy and ability to put yourself in someones shoes. Oh lord. This is more rare than gold.
I think in my life, I have learned that waiting for one of the people you love or admire to even begin to guide you in such ways is a waste of time. But there is something else in this world that can provide the “best boss” position in your life. Thats YOU! I have developed a little best boss in my head. He/She pushes, watches my response, makes adjustments based on my level of capacity at the moment, and then pushes some more accordingly. It’s taken a long time, but now this personal boss has grown a life of it’s own. I don’t have to summon them, they just naturally step in whenever I need them (whether consciously or subconsciously).
Also, Alan Arkin rules.
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