Everyone is a fan of something.
Whether your idol is an Olympic athlete, Oscar winning actress, or even a fictional character, it’s normally a positive thing to have inspiration and motivation come from a hero of yours, particularly if you’re using that hero’s words to spread messages of confidence and love.
A lot of people get made fun of for being “obsessed” with whatever they’re inspired by, but honestly, if you’re not hurting anyone, why does it matter what gets you out of bed in the morning? Again, everyone’s got their own thing, and just because yours isn’t like someone else’s doesn’t make yours or there’s any less valid.
The best bosses are those who motivate their employees in a positive way.
From experience, a boss who is annoyingly nice and social is waaaaay better than a boss who doesn’t give a crap about their workers.
When it is apparent that your boss loves and cares about their company, you are much more likely to love and care about it as well. It’s just common sense.
66-year-old Jerry Foxhoven was the director for Iowa’s Department of Human Services.
As far as bosses go, Jerry really cared about his employees. In a recent email, he even touched upon how much his position has impacted him personally:
“These two years have flown by, and it has been an absolute honor to lead such a dedicated and committed group of people. Thanks for all you do!”
Unfortunately, quite a few people took issue with the main focus of Foxhaven’s email to his staff.
Everyone’s got their own source of inspiration and motivation, and for Foxhaven, his just happens to be…
Tupac.
In an email to employees, Foxhaven shared some of his favorite Tupac lyrics and took time to celebrate the late rapper’s birthday.
“Of course, I will be celebrating both Father’s Day and Tupac’s birthday.”
“Here is an inspirational quote by him,” Foxhaven continued, “Pay no mind to those who talk behind your back, it simply means that you are two steps ahead.”
On all accounts, the email was nothing if not sweet and inherently positive. However, the fact that he sent it to over 4,000 employees sparked backlash.
Shortly after he sent the email, he was forced to resign.
Though representatives have stated that “A lot of factors contributed to the resignation of Jerry Foxhoven,” employees suspect that the emails, coupled with what people have referred to as Foxhaven’s Tupac ‘obsession’ played a major role.
Not much more has been explained about Foxhaven’s resignation, other than that “Gov. Reynolds is looking forward to taking DHS in a new direction.”
Foxhaven himself wasn’t given a reason for the resignation request.
Though he told Associated Press that he doubts the Tupac emails were the deciding factor.
Employees have revealed that the most recent email was not the only Tupac related email they’ve received company-wide, as they were actually a frequent occurrence.
Do you think that the resignation request was fair?
Did Foxhaven cross a line, or was he simply sharing a piece of what he loved with the people he cared about? Let us know.
h/t: Associated Press
