This article will solve the problem of bad bosses forever.
Do I have your attention?
I wish that opening statement were true, but in reality there are no universal fixes for the problem of bad management. If someone tells you that they have the answer to fix all issues with management, watch out! They’re about to try to sell you something! But if you’re like me and wish to find some real solutions to bad management, there are simple, practical things that can be done to improve working relationships everywhere.
I’m not sure what your experiences have been like with bosses in the past, but you have probably had your share of ones that were not very good. This could be for any number of reasons. Maybe your boss didn’t understand the business well enough to do their job. Maybe they were only in their role because of who they knew, not because of what they knew. Maybe they over-managed every little detail and didn’t give you the freedom to make your own decisions. Maybe they handed out tasks left and right but offered no support or guidance when you had questions. Maybe it was one of these or a thousand other possible reasons that they weren’t that good of a boss. Regardless of why, I think it’s likely that if you are reading this, you’ve probably had a bad boss at some point or another. And if you’re in management, it’s possible that you’ve been a bad boss on a few occasions.
Ok, so we get it; there are a ton of reasons why there are bad leaders and sometimes we might have been a bad leader ourselves. So what can we do about it?
Be humble.
It won’t fix everything, but it will go a long way to becoming a better leader or team member.
Think about it. Nobody likes a know-it-all. This is true whether it is the person that you are working for, working with, or that works for you. If we approach our interactions with a willingness to listen and learn—even to be wrong—how much would our relationships improve?
When I reflect back on the best leaders I’ve had the privilege of working for, I don’t remember how much they impressed me with who they were or what they knew. What the best leaders did was to make me feel important. This took humility on their part.
By listening to my voice, by valuing my opinion, and by being willing to change their mind if it called for it, the leaders that demonstrated this kind of humility earned my respect and admiration. Maybe you can think of leaders who have done the same for you.
So far, this is maybe a bit of a platitude. Most people I talk to wouldn’t argue against the concept of wanting humble leaders, servant leaders, or empowering leaders. That’s pretty exciting. We all want it, but do we have the courage to step up and be one?
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Here’s a really simple action that I’ve found to practicing humble leadership. It boils down to four powerful words in the form of a question: “what do you think?”
That’s it. If you’re the leader, make a habit of asking this question.
Then keep quiet and listen.
And if you disagree, hold your thoughts and let the other person finish. Acknowledge what they said. Ask genuine clarifying questions (not ones to “prove them wrong” or “help them see the error of their ways”).
If you’re not careful, you’ll miss the four words I shared and accidentally use four others that you think mean the same thing. The wrong question to ask is “does that make sense?” You see, as a leader, when you share your opinion first and ask someone “does that make sense”, you’re just asking if they comprehend what you are saying. That question does not invite dialogue and it doesn’t encourage creativity…instead it murders collaboration.
If you are in the habit of leading with your idea and asking “does that make sense”, you might be a first-degree serial killer (of great ideas).
Instead, be humble and lead by asking “what do you think”. Hear out the other person. You don’t have to agree with what they say, but you should give your absolute best effort to understand why they gave the answer they did.
You can do this whether you are a team leader or a team member. Ask, listen, and understand. Then repeat!
It’s through this type of empathetic, humble leadership that we just might be able to fix all problems of bad leadership forever.
What do you think?
By Patrick Smith, Director of Training and Development at Medi-Share
A Note from Brian Dodd about Medi-Share:
This blog and the fascinating FREE report was brought to you by my friends at Medi-Share, the affordable alternative to health insurance.
I love some of the benefits each of their members receive and I want Christian leaders like you to be in the know about Medi-Share:
- The typical family can save $500 or more per month on health care costs
- They provide Employer Health Care Plans for Churches and Business
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- All pastors who are members of Medi-Share have access to the Medi-Share Pastor’s Alliance, a community that provides support to leaders of the local church.
I encourage you to visit the Medi-Share website to download your FREE Report and start exploring how much Medi-Share could be saving you or your church / business on health care costs!
– Brian