We all think this about our boss at some point
Almost everyone, at some point early in their career, decides that their boss is an idiot. Maybe the words aren’t that strong, but you see the flaws, and you see how you would do things differently. When you find yourself here, stop for just a minute and ponder one thing. Leadership is REALLY hard. Like really, really, really hard.
Many of us who think we know better eventually find ourselves in a leadership position and guess what. We discover we’re not perfect at it. We might be really good at some things, but there are those weaknesses that creep up on us and reveal themselves when everyone is looking at you to lead the pack. At least most of us who are honest with ourselves recognize that. If you think you’re perfect at it, here’s a piece of advice about self-awareness to be read another day!
Ok, so your boss isn’t perfect
So, what to do with an imperfect boss? See if you can take a peek behind the curtain a bit and see what obstacles they are up against.
- What expectations have been set for them that they have to adhere to?
- Are there challenging employees they trying to work with to keep peace among the crew?
- Oh boy, wouldn’t that be embarrassing if that was you?
- Have they been given all the tools to do their job well?
The list goes on, but the point of this is take a hot minute to dig in a bit and try to recognize the challenges they are facing. And yes, we all have weaknesses to pair up with our strengths, so this person also probably has some.
Pull up your cowgirl boots and act like an adult
Now it’s time to cowgirl up and lead up. Leading up is a really cool concept. Have you ever thought about the fact that maybe leadership isn’t just a one way street? How can you support your boss so they can do their best work? Can you show them how you want to be led? What can you do to help hold them accountable in a respectful way?
Learning from your boss, one way or another
You might be amazed at how your boss suddenly turns into less of an idiot when you start viewing them a bit differently. Shoot, you might even learn something from them! And worst case, you can at least create a list of “things I don’t want to do when I’m a leader.” We all need role models, and they come in all forms.