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It’s natural to dislike your boss. I mean, I’m fond enough of my current superiors (hey guys, thanks for reading), but I’ve been in enough jobs to know that I’m in the minority here.
A lot of the time, it’s not even about their shitty personality. Sometimes you can look at your superior and wonder what they have that you don’t – why you’re working harder than Katy Perry does to stay relevant, but somehow they’re the one with a higher salary and professional position.
Rather than get your knickers in a passive-aggressive knot over it, you could start using their nonsensical leadership tactics as inspiration to, you know, be better than them when your time rolls around. Keep reading to find out how, fam.
DON’T BE A CRAPPY COMMUNICATOR
There’s nothing more annoying than a boss who can’t offer you feedback and direction. (Actually Hugh Grant‘s face and general existence is probably more annoying, but a boss with poor communication skills is a close second.) Why? Because without effective communication and constructive criticism, chances at improving as an employee and moving up are few and far between. You can’t fix something if you don’t know what the problem is.
Instead of becoming one of *those* bosses, have the confidence and diligence to sort out problems as they happen so that your entire team can move forward effectively. It can’t be easy to effectively manage multiple workloads, emotions and expectations, but being able to talk to and foster trust with your team will make it a whole hell of a lot easier.
DON’T BE A CONTROL FREAK
The control freak boss is the worst kind of boss, because again, it impedes on one’s ability to progress if they’re not trusted to do anything. We get it though. If something goes wrong it falls on the manager’s shoulders – they’re the one responsible for whoever screwed it up.
But instead of using the above mentality to take everything on rather than take a step back, you need to be able to show trust in your team, relinquish control and enable your staff because that’s what team work’s all about. If they stuff up? Shit happens. Communicate their feedback (point #1) so you get it right next time. It’s called delegating, look it up.
DON’T BE MEDIOCRE AT YOUR JOB
If you ever feel like you’re more talented than your boss, that’s a huge issue that’ll consistently do your head in.
Before you even think about going for a promotion and taking on a leadership role, you should be positive that you’re flippin’ talented – if not the most talented – in your company or department. It’s not just about interpersonal skills. You’ll need to perfect your craft, love it and lead by friggin’ example.
Should you be asking people underneath your position how to do something if you’re managing them? No, probably not. Think about how shit it is when your current boss does that. It doesn’t instil much confidence in those who are looking to you for guidance, motivation and inspiration. It’s rough but it’s just like, the rules of leadership.
DON’T FREAK OUT UNDER PRESSUE
For the better part of the working day, your boss is the one to make the final call on particular pitches, suggestions, ideas and outcomes – some of which won’t have an obvious answer or course of action to resolve. Some bosses can’t keep calm and find the best possible solution – something that requires A+ creativity and thinking outside the box.
That’s something you should work on before even trying to get a promotion to management. From meditation to creative workshops, it’s definitely possible to, over time, slide into this behavioural necessity in the workplace.
Yes, the rumours are true: bad bosses can ruin a really good job and good bosses are a rare species.
The earlier your learn the skills of a good leader the better, regardless of where you are in your career right now.
Whether it’s getting around design skills or getting schooled in business management, TAFE NSW is the go-to for anyone looking to up-skill their current skill set with a diploma or degree. Get cracking HERE.
Rod Abell, TAFE alumni and CEO of Jones & Rickard Group said:
“Leadership appears complex, but you will succeed if you really want to achieve great things with other people. This requires patience, empathy and inclusiveness. It requires the discipline to plan, the agility to adapt quickly to changes, and the ability to look out across the top of the immediate issues.
“Yes, often it needs grit, courage and definitely a growth mindset. The reward for those who choose to lead is the tremendous satisfaction in seeing your creative vision deliver great benefits to others over a period of time – a true sense of purpose.“
Where you lead, they will follow.
Photo: The Office.
