LESSONS IN LEADERSHIP
By Robert L. Bailey
Dealing positively with a "bad" boss
can bring unexpected benefits
During your career, you'll have more bad bosses than good ones. But you can learn from all of them. Everyone has leadership traits that you may wish to emulate--and leadership traits that you will want to avoid.
Dear Mr. Bailey:
I'm a supervisor of a small department of the ABC Insurance Company, and I try to lead the people in my department in the manner you recommend in your columns. I've read your book, Plain Talk About Leadership, and I wish my boss would read this. He's a terror and has absolutely no people skills. He rules with threats and intimidation. Everybody has the feeling that any one of us would be stabbed in the back if the company would benefit in some way. Even if we're able to tolerate this ongoing browbeating, we fear that we'll be caught in the next round of layoffs.
The people in my department are more productive and happier than most in the company, but the horrible environment around us tends to overshadow everything I do. I have begun to question whether a 'people approach' to leadership is realistic in today's dog-eat-dog corporate world.
It seems that each week our company becomes more and more numbers focused and less and less people oriented. We've lost many good people because of this hostile atmosphere. I've considered leaving myself but haven't done so because of the recent weak economy and the previously high unemployment rate. As you can imagine, morale is horrible.
What can one lowly supervisor do to lead in a positive manner in a company that doesn't care about its people? Can you help me?
A Rough Notes Reader
It may be of little consolation, but the e-mails I receive indicate that you are only one of many who experience this type of work environment. The most important point for you to remember is: It's not you! It's not your behavior that is causing your boss to fuss and fume. It is simply a style of leadership, an approach that's unlikely to change, even if he or she reads my book and my column. This intimidating form of leadership somehow has brought this person to a senior management level, so why change?
Throughout your career you will have many bosses--some good, some bad. Most people tell me, and my own experience confirms it, that during your career, you'll have more bad bosses than good ones.
But you can learn from all of them. Everyone has leadership traits that you may wish to emulate--and leadership traits that you will want to avoid.
When you are forced to deal with your boss's angry outbursts, don't become emotionally involved. Remember, it's not you. Imagine that you're watching a TV movie. Listen carefully to the message. Watch the ways the character gets the message across. The threats and intimidation don't matter. It's just a movie--only this one you can't turn off. Some movie characters you like; some you don't like. But all of them make life interesting. And being exposed to such characters in real life helps strengthen us to endure the day-to-day challenges that all of us face.
Never--I mean never--respond in a like manner. In his book, The Purpose Driven Life, Rick Warren talks about relationships. "You may need to continue discussing and even debating--but you do it in a spirit of harmony," he says. I second that.
Once you understand the mandate, carry out the instructions in your own way. Use the friendly, communicative, enthusiastic leadership style that we often discuss in this column and in my book. Chances are that the people who report to you know what you're going through. They'll appreciate your running interference for them and will be especially responsive to your leadership.
Your excellent leadership can be contagious. Other department supervisors may sense the improved productivity and morale in your department and begin emulating your leadership style. Over a period of time you can have a profound overall positive effect on the company.
Chances are that your boss won't be your boss forever. He or she may retire, may be fired by the board because of his or her offensive treatment of people or, who knows, may be promoted. With excellent leadership skills, the new "big boss" could be you.
Certainly if conditions are so distasteful that you can't endure another day on the job, you may wish to make a job change, but be very cautious. The odds are about seven out of ten that your new "big boss" will be as bad as the old one.
I agree that the fear of layoffs has an adverse effect on people. While necessary in a few instances (if a company can't meet its Friday payroll, there may be no choice), in most cases layoffs weaken companies. When a layoff is threatened, many employees brush off their resumes. Some will initiate an active job search even before they know whether or not they will be affected. If opportunities arise, many jump ship. The ones who don't move are so paralyzed that they can't give their full attention to serving customers. Productivity almost certainly slows as morale begins to freefall.
Check out the layoff announcements in newspapers. Nearly every layoff affects fewer people than will leave the company through normal attrition--which usually runs around 10%. With proper planning, payroll can be reduced by not replacing people who leave for the usual reasons.
But, should you lose your job, don't worry about the economy or "high unemployment." This is primarily political rhetoric. Five percent unemployment through the years has been considered full employment--everyone who will work is working.
There have always been, and always will be, declining industries and emerging industries. Employment in some industries declines as new technology drives customers to new products or services. As a result, employment increases in these new product and service arenas. For example, people are no longer buying 78, 33 1/3 and 45 rpm records or cassette tapes. When CDs came on the market, consumers began buying them. Then DVDs. And now technology is being developed to replace them. In another area, there is no longer a huge market for cameras with film. Today it's digital photography. These declining/emerging industry trends have been a part of the economic scene since buggy whip manufacturing was big business.
Fortunately, American workers are smart enough to reinvent themselves when necessary and move into new--and usually higher paying--jobs.
Even with today's declining industries, some 94 out of 100 people who want to work are working. If I told you that your odds of winning the state lottery were 94 out of 100, you'd start shopping for your new Lexus even before the drawing.
Your odds of getting another job are that certain. It's even better when you consider that the unemployment rate is only 2.9% for people with a bachelor's degree. It's 8.5% for those who didn't finish high school.
These are the averages, but you're not average. I know you're not average because you're reading this. If you're laid off, you're going to get a job. A good job. I can guarantee it. You're probably ready for a new challenge anyway. And with a little luck you may end up with a boss who has excellent people skills. *
The author
Robert L. Bailey is the retired CEO, president and chairman of the State Auto Insurance Companies. He is now a professional public speaker, writer and insurance company consultant. He is author of the book Plain Talk About Leadership. He can be reached at (941) 358-5260 or bobbailey1@comcast.net.