Read a review from 5 years ago, written by my 24-year-old manager. According to her, I needed improvement on my leadership skills because I "often told my employees what to do, instead of discussing it with them," and I was "very good at black and white decisions, but need to be more grey." Three months after that review, I received a job promotion. HER job. She quit because she couldn't handle pregnancy and working. Since she left, her "leadership" skills, or lack of, have become more apparent. I cannot blame her, leadership comes from the top, and in her defense, she had NO schooling or previous experience. She was young and cute and a brunette, AKA well qualified for management by the Prez standards. The decisions, loan-wise and others, she was allowed to make with little direction have made their impact. She is un-rehire-able for that alone. Again, that fault should reflect HER lack of supervision by her bosses. She hated being a manager because, like mothering, there are certain times when discussion IS a moot point. If a job needs to be done, I don't discuss; I delegate. If I tell an employee to do something a certain way, I don't always feel the need to ask for an opinion. I will explain, but it's not a debate. We have rules and regulations to follow, which I'm ultimately held responsible. Unlike my former manager, I am sure to put my name on things. In the past 5 years, we've heard so many times, "she said so," but nothing was in writing. And now, she's gone. That posed problems for employees who faced disciplinary action because she gave them free reign. She made sure *I* wasn't kept in the loop, that was her gray area: to delegate a task and trust, but not followup "like a mother." Admittedly, I've become a much more effective manager in the past 5 years, but it wasn't due to watching her techniques. It's fun when she comes in to visit with her bratty young girls. She has almost no control over them because she gives them free reign over their behavior. She doesn't believe in NO, she "discusses" with them, as if they can comprehend a 10 minute explanation or come up with their own reasoning. They are 3 and 5 year old managers. Scary!