Bad Boss, Good Lessons. 4 Things You Can Learn From A Bad Leader
Not everything about having a bad boss has to be, well…bad. There are things you can take away from the experience that can make you better. I have had the fortune of not working for many bad bosses, especially more recently in my career. However, I did have my share of them early on, when I was growing up in stores. I often found myself noting what I would never want to do when I was in their position in the future. And, largely, it has served me well. My guess is, we’ve all worked for at least one truly bad boss, not just someone we didn’t care for, but someone that treated people poorly, was highly disorganized, or just clueless in what to do. There are ways to benefit from even those experiences, so let’s take a look at some of the positives that can arise from working for those individuals.
One of my motivations for creating this blog and the Effective Retail Leadership website was to help aspiring leaders avoid the pitfalls of poor leadership. I think everyone has the right to work for a great leader. I also believe that everyone has the ability to be a good leader if they choose. It is the foundation of the mission of this site to help leaders become someone others choose to follow. Taking lessons from those that do not fulfill that ideal can often be as important as learning from those who do.
1. Avoid micromanaging
No one likes to be hovered over, metaphorically or literally. However, micromanagement is probably one of the most common complaints people site when thinking of a bad boss. “They never give me any space.” “They keep asking for updates and not letting me get the work done.” “I have to follow the exact steps they tell me to follow and report back with each one.” Those are all signs of a manager that is micromanaging a project or situation. You will frustrate your team, and stifle the creativity you hired the person for. Micromanagers frequently find that their approach backfires, which leads to more poor leadership decisions. They find themselves not advancing because there is no innovation or work falls behind. Not realizing they are the problem, they push harder, or take all the work on themselves and blame the surrounding team.
2. Communicate frequently and in a detailed way
Bad bosses regularly believe that their knowledge or access to new information is what differentiates them from others. So they become hoarders of those details. They only share what they believe people need to know right now. The team around them will often feel in the dark, and then blindsided when information is finally shared at the last minute and a crisis arises. Holding on to news and information always ends up being a bad approach. When there is a lack of accurate information, people will fill in what they believe. Trust is impossible to establish, and no one really knows what the truth is. It is far better to share as much as possible in the finest of details available. As leaders, there are occasions where sharing is not appropriate, that is not what I am talking about here. This is about the general information that everyone can and should have available to support them in their job. Let it flow, do it often, and share the details.
3. Leadership is about support, not power
I’ve made it to the top. I am king of the hill. I am in charge. Ugh. Those are statements of a bad boss, for sure. We’ve all seen or worked for a bad boss having a bit of a power trip. They see their position as power and not as someone who is there to support the rest of the team. They make everything about themselves and believe those that are in their charge are there to support them and keep them in position. They will do everything possible to protect their power and not realize it will be the very thing that strips them of it. Being a leader has nothing to do with power, and everything to do with empowering those around you.
4. Accountability is character
How accountable you are (for yours and your team’s actions) will define your character to those around you. Bad bosses are victims, they are blamers, and they are conspiracists. They often believe other people are out to get them, or setting them up for failure. If something goes wrong, or the results are below expectations, there is always a reason, and it is not them. Finger pointing becomes more their approach than trying to solve problems. Interestingly enough, I have seen where the team, while maybe agreeing at first, actually shifts to seeing that they can solve the problem and their boss becomes the blocker to the solution. That makes it a character issue. As a leader, you do not want to be considered someone who cannot be accountable for their actions, or those of their team. Mistakes build strength when you grow from them. Owning those missteps allows growth to occur. Taking responsibility develops trust and character. Personal accountability is all about positive leadership.
These four things you can learn from working for or observing bad bosses can help you be the opposite. As I mentioned at the beginning, there is a lot you can learn from what not to do. If you find it distressing or inappropriate when you experience or see it, regardless of where you are in your career journey, it is probably wrong. And it is certainly something you can choose to avoid or adjust when you do find yourself in that role in the future. Whether you are just beginning as an associate, or supervisor level, or you’re already a multi-unit leader, we are all exposed to other leaders and their behavior. I still recall instances and interactions with District Managers or Regional Leaders from when I was an hourly employee in a toy store more than thirty years ago. There are behaviors I witnessed then that I actively still avoid today. I no longer remember their names, but I do remember the way I felt after I interacted with them.
As a leader, just know that can happen to you at any time as well. You just want to be the one where people remember the positive way you made them feel after meeting you. We all have a choice in how we lead and treat others. It is the legacy we can leave. Choose to make it a memorable one in a good way.
What lessons have you learned from bad bosses in your career?
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