Greetings Leaders!
So… it happened again. You’re at work, trying to make things happen, and your boss doesn’t listen. Or if she’s listening, she either ignores you or runs over you. You think you’re a good leader. You have a proven track record. You get results. Yet for some reason your boss just doesn’t acknowledge your capabilities. The result? You end up frustrated. Your boss ends up frustrated. At times you’re not even sure if you can show up for another day of work. What are your options and what should you do?
First of all, some fatherly advice. You’re not alone. You’re not incompetent. You do have talents and it’s ok to be frustrated. Having said that, it is time to stop being the victim and to try to gain control of your emotions and your actions.
If you find yourself butting heads with your boss, there are a couple of things to consider. First of all, your boss may or may not be competent. If your boss is incompetent, well, that’s not something we can fix is it? I don’t know of anyone who has successfully “fixed” someone else. Perhaps a counselor or a coach, but certainly not someone directly involved with the situation. So, if your boss is incompetent, you have to ask yourself, do you want to stay. That is something you’re going to have to answer for yourself.
Assuming your boss is competent, why all the problems? The answer is simple, when leaders collide, you get fireworks. Your boss is where she is at because she can lead. As a leader yourself, you are going to have ideas of your own that may differ from those of your boss. Your ideas collide and when you don’t get your way, you get frustrated. There is something you must remember here. Your boss is… your boss. She gets to make the call. You have to accept that fact. Even if you may be right, she has earned the right to make the call. Your option? Support her as best you can.
What if you can’t? What if your desire to lead is so overpowering, that you feel compelled to leave. Well, if you leave, two things can happen. You either end up in a place where you can make the calls, or, you end up broke. Let’s take Steve Jobs as an example. He was very strong willed. Because of this, he basically got fired from Apple the first time around. Steve had a few things going for him that you might not. First of all, when he was let go he had money. Lots of money. So he was able to survive. Second, he got lucky. Not everyone, in fact, hardly anyone, gets a second chance like he did.
So, if you are headstrong and leave or are fired, be prepared to be in a lonely place for awhile. You also have to realize the risk involved here. You may or may not end up in a better place. Sometimes, a leader has to become a follower. You have to make that choice. Just beware of the consequences.
All the best!
All the time!
JT
Related articles
- Bud to Boss Workshop Tulsa (leadchangegroup.com)
- 3 Leadership Lessons that Steve Jobs Never Learned (linked2leadership.com)
- Should Steve Jobs “management style” continue? (bullyinworkplace.wordpress.com)
- Managing Your Boss: Know Thyself (hollymccracken.wordpress.com)
- The Measure of Leadership (linked2leadership.com)
