We’re led to believe that the workplace consists of good and bad bosses. All we have to do is avoid the bad ones, and when we find the good ones, they’ll just automatically be super cool to us all the time.
This is not correct.
The world isn’t made up of good guys and bad guys. It’s made up of mostly well-meaning people who mostly don’t know what they’re doing.
If you’re a high performer, whatever boss you’re currently stuck with is a very temporary situation. Do not let that person’s shortcomings define you.
In many cases, your boss is as good as your own ability to manage them. This means over-communicating, setting expectations, exceeding them, and tracking it all.
If you’re a people person, managing your boss is fun. If not, it’s a fun challenge.
Find something in common with them, show interest, send them articles on relevant topics, introduce them to great people. Add value and have fun. Maybe even subliminally level out the hierarchy a bit, by humbly having the best ideas.
Everyone has the potential for evil, but you can bring out the best in them by properly setting up the relationship: expectations, boundaries, communication.
If you run through this exercise and still reach the conclusion that your boss is evil incarnate, don’t panic. Build options. Get new experience. Plan your next move.
You don’t get what you deserve, you get what you tolerate.
“The line separating good and evil runs… right through every human heart.” - Aleksandr I. Solzhenitsyn
