This is a very good thread .. there've already been some really good posts. I thought I'd chip my few cents in as well.

I've always thought a really good boss in terms of knowledge is someone who knows their way around the IT landscape (development, system administration and so forth), with focus on what it is they should be managing. It might be helpful if, for instance, they are responsible for software development, they know some basic system administration as well - they might have to deal with other teams or departments.

I think it is very important for a manager / boss to be very well organized. This sounds obvious but I know of many companies where the problem really is that a department boss either has no clue about what it is they are managing (at a really big company in austria that has a server housing center), or are very unorganized (the sysadmins don't have a set of procedures for specific events, no ticketing system, and so forth), or both. It is sad how many companies have people in management positions that are like that, even (or maybe especially) big companies.

But I think the 'human' part might be really more important. I've previously quit at a company I co-founded because I had ethical issues with the way people were treated.

Think about things you've previously liked or respected in a boss and try to structure your questions around those qualities. Things I think a boss should do ...

• Take the time to talk to employees even if you're busy, if you know it's important
• Main job: make sure your team is able to work - defend them from "upper" management, who usually have no clue about what your people are working on or how they should go about doing their jobs.
• Stick up for your team members if they are right, fight for them if necessary, unfortunately often it is (better equipment etc)
• Quit if you can't ethically stand for how you or your team are treated etc

Ah, enough random ramblings ...

-- tel