|
I want to pass along the gist of an article by Stanley Bing in Across the Board. It classifies five types of crazy
bosses.
You need to know how to identify these whack jobs, because if you're like me, working for a crazy boss tends to make you think you're crazy. And that gets in the way of your personal creative potential.
That's bad enough for you, but for the company, it's deadly, because crazy bosses make innovation just about impossible.
The Organizational Fascist This guy is so "bureau-crazy," says Bing, "his mind is paralyzed by appearances and
form." Right now he's adding semicolons to your latest report, counting your paper clips, or
playing binocular soccer.
The Bully He makes as much noise as he does salary. And we could get along with a lot less of both. You spend valuable time planning when to approach him, because you want to hit him when his mood swings your way.
The Narcissist cares about no one but himself. Today he's pondering how to pose for his corporate
portrait. He ignores or humiliates anyone who threatens to mar his image. And if he's reading this, he has no idea who I'm talking about.
The Paranoid is never around, and when he is, his door is locked. You have to do everything his way. And because you can't, even when you try, he ends up doing it all himself and complaining, why me?
The Disaster Hunter says Bing, "pushes himself to the brink of catastrophe and, eventually, over." Too often, you go with him. He's working right now, and he didn't quit until last night. Where were you? he wonders.
Why does corporate culture tolerate so many crazy bosses? Bing blames it on the drive for profit, which accommodates anything that works, including
tyrants. And the only thing that will improve conditions, is your insistence on standards of common decency.
No, you don't have to put up with your crazy boss. If you want to innovate, you owe it to your personal place in this world to work with people who value your creativity.
See also:
The Dark Side of Leadership: Bosses Behaving Badly
|
