10 Times Michael Scott Actually Was the World’s Greatest Boss

The Office’s Michael Scott was, in many ways, a living, breathing HR training video on what not to do as a manager. (Which explains a lot about Toby.) He routinely made offensive comments, casually derailed office productivity, and even ran over one of his employees in the Dunder Mifflin parking lot.

That said, there were moments when Michael rose to the occasion and lived up to the ideals of the novelty coffee mug he secretly bought for himself, and truly was the “World’s Best Boss,” like…

10 He Came to Pam’s Art Show

Michael supported his employee’s passion for painting and expressed a genuine passion for her work. Which is more than we can say for Jim “Complete Philistine” Halpert.

9 He Schmoozed a Government Employee

Michael impressed us all (not to mention Jan) by proving that his goofball affability can be a major asset to the company after he won a government contract by taking Tim Meadows’ character Christian out to Chili’s.

8 He Encouraged His Employees to Work Together on a Commercial

While Dunder Mifflin ultimately opted to go another way, Michael’s epic, Chariots of Fire-scored commercial was undeniably a successful team-building exercise.

7 He Paid for a Party Out of His Own Pocket

Michael and his iPod made a mess out of Season Two’s Christmas party, but he made up for it by bucking company policy and personally paying for a festively large amount of vodka.

6 He Created a Welcome Distraction During a Moment of Uncertainty

Michael had the office play a Southern plantation-set murder mystery game, which most of the time would be a major red flag, but this time it worked to distract them all from news of Dunder Mifflin’s financially perilous future. Although it did feature the worst Southern accents since the days of Nicolas Cage in Con Air.

5 He Landed a Big Deal at an Office Supply Convention

Michael somehow made a deal with Hammermill to be Dunder Mifflin’s paper supplier, breaking their exclusive arrangement with Staples. His hotel room party, on the other hand, was a tad less successful.

4 He Visited Ryan’s Class

Not every boss would take the time out of their day to personally attend an employee’s business class and pelt the students with candy bars.

3 He Gave Phyllis an Extended Honeymoon

Michael generously offered Phyllis six weeks of vacation time for her honeymoon — sure, it was in exchange for a prominent role in her wedding ceremony, but still.

2 He Negotiated the Sale of the Michael Scott Paper Company

Michael made sure to look after Pam and Ryan when it came time to negotiate the sale of his secretly failing start-up. The way he sticks it to David Wallace will always be one of the show’s very best moments.

1 His Branch Was Surprisingly Profitable

During the sale of the Michael Scott Paper Company, we learned that Scranton is Dunder Mifflin’s “most profitable” branch — a fact that is repeated throughout the series. For all of his childlike awkwardness, Michael admirably found a way to succeed in a business that was seeing an industry-wide decline and keep his entire office afloat. Of course, his surprising business skills in no way make up for Scott’s Tots.