You (Sometimes) Get The Leaders You Deserve

16th May 2023

Some leaders are bad. Plain awful. We know this. We’ve all met them.

Most have probably gossiped about them with colleagues at some point. Very few have a good word to say about them. You wonder how they got to where they are.

People have tried to speak to them, to explain how they make other people’s lives miserable, but they’ll never listen.

They’re just bad, bad, bad. And they’re not for changing.

However, there are others about whom people whisper about and criticise. Leaders who make mistakes, big ones even. And quite often, perhaps inadvertently, they can also make people’s working lives miserable.

They may be inexperienced, naïve, distracted or have certain blind spots…but they’re not bad people.

Treating the two types of ‘bad leaders’ above in the same way, however, ignores a fundamental difference; one may be open to sound counsel, to changing their ways. The other isn’t.

So, before you slag off your manager ask yourself, have you addressed your grievances with them? And if not, why not?

If it’s because others have tried and it’s a fruitless task with this individual then fair enough. Save your breath (or go out in a blaze of glory when you hand your notice in).

However, if it’s because you are neither brave nor thoughtful enough to manage your manager then I would argue that you’d likely fare little better if the roles were reversed.

So cut these guys and gals some slack, assume the best of their intentions and get talking.

You may achieve surprising results…for both them and you.