The third cause of bad boss behaviors is needing what we should be leading. If a leader needs their job, they will be more susceptible to Bad Boss Behavior™. The susceptibility stems from prioritizing what is best for their job security over what is best for the organization and all stakeholders. Let’s look at an example.
STORY
Your boss must choose a new benefits plan for the company. They’re confident Provider A is best for the company and its stakeholders. However, their boss really likes Provider B. This may be because provider B gives their boss some kickback, helps them hit their quarterly bonus, is led by a personal friend, or some other reason.
If your boss needs their job to sustain health benefits for their family, they are less likely to make the best decision for the company. Therefore, your boss will be pressured to select Provider B for their own benefit. Therefore, your boss practices bad boss behavior.
BUT… THEIR BOSS?
A well structured compensation model should also ensure your boss’s boss has the best interests of the company at heart. Should is the key word. Consider Enron, the 2008 financial crisis, and most major corporate failures. At the heart of those you will find executives who built self serving compensation models or otherwise manipulated systems for personal benefit.
INDIVIDUAL SOLUTIONS
As the leader yourself, the best ways to avoid needing what you should be leading include networking up, financial independence, and self confidence.
- 1. Network Up: Too few leadership development programs address this attribute of successful leaders. You must not depend on your boss to be your only - or even primary - champion in the organization. You must build strong working relationships with their peers and superiors. People change. Situations change. You may have the best relationship with your boss today, but not tomorrow. A strong working relationship with their peers makes it easier to defend what is best for the organization against what is best for your boss.
- 2. Financial Independence: Most people see financial independence and assume this means being independently wealthy. Not true. It is more simple than that*. Give yourself some runway. Create enough savings that you and your family can live safely and comfortably for 6 months to a year. That should give you plenty of time* to find your next opportunity while both strengthening and benefitting from your self confidence….
- 3. Self Confidence: If you’re reading this, you should be confident in your leadership skills and abilities. Very few people read - let alone apply - leadership self-development skills. You are likely among a small percentage of great people leaders out there. You must be confident in yourself and your abilities to find your next employment opportunity if not a leadership role. This will mitigate the temptation to do what is best for you or your boss vs. what is best for the organization.
ORGANIZATIONAL SOLUTIONS
If you are in Human Resources, here is how you can mitigate the likelihood of this Bad Boss Behavior in your business:
- 1. Mentoring Programs: Ensure your leaders have mentoring relationships. Mentoring enables leaders to bounce ideas off others while networking up.
- 2. Succession Planning: Regular, detailed discussions about who will succeed who, when, ensures leaders at all levels are discovering and connecting with each other.
- 3. Compensation Transparency: The more transparent your company is about how everyone is paid and benefits from different decisions, the more transparent you make decisions
- 4. Board Oversight: Ensure your board is independent from executives, with limited ties outside the office. Then, emphasize their primary objective as long-term sustainability.
- 5. 360 & Skip Level Feedback: A thorough 360 feedback system that includes skip-level participation broadens and deepens leadership relationships.This also reduces the influence a single person may have over another.
We cannot lead what we need. By networking up, establishing financial independence, and building self-confidence we reduce our need and increase our ability to lead.
As an employer, implementing mitigation steps like mentoring, succession planning, transparency, oversight, and feedback systems ensures we have leaders who lead from desire, not need. When leaders are free from the shackles of personal dependency, the possibilities for a better, brighter, and more innovative future for their organizations become limitless.
If you or your organization could use some help eliminating the three causes of Bad Boss Behavior: Lack of Education (cause #1); Unclear Expectations (cause #2); and Needing What We Should be Leading (cause #3), contact us. Let’s see how we can help you Build Better Bosses™.
Until next time, keep serving.
* I’m aware these statements reflect privilege. There are many in this world with lesser means or opportunity. In such situations, financial independence is not a possibility, and we suggest placing greater emphasis on networking up and self-confidence.
