The first boss shapes You ,but doesn’t define You

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Having a first boss is like flying a plane with someone else at the controls. You don’t know where they trained. You don’t know what they had for breakfast. But you really hope they know what they are doing.

I was lucky.
My first boss was Marcin.
Even now, years later, I can go to him, ask a question, and get an answer. A real one. Not a show. Not a lecture. Just calm and clear advice. No ego. No pressure.

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Marcin had something you cannot learn in a workshop. Authority. The kind that comes from knowledge and trust. He never raised his voice. He didn’t have to. When he said “good job,” you felt like you could fly. When he said “think again,” you actually thought.

A good boss can give you something rare.
Confidence.
He can make you feel that you belong. That you are part of the team. That your questions matter. That you are worth something even if you do not know everything yet.

A good boss helps you grow. He lets you become a full member of the team. Not just someone who brings the cables.

But let me be clear. Even the best boss cannot build your value for you. He can help. He can guide. He can shine a light. But in the end, you decide what kind of engineer you want to be.

If you ever feel like you are not good enough, ask yourself one thing.
Is the problem really with me?
Or maybe someone else forgot what a first boss should be?

Not everyone is lucky. Not everyone meets someone like Marcin.
Some people get a boss who draws all over the page. Some get one who tears the page up.
Some get no one at all.

But one thing is true.
Your value does not come from your boss.
It comes from you.

Cheers,

Jacek