I came across this article in Forbes about bullying bosses
In the article the author differentiates between a tough boss and a bully:
A tough boss will insist that you work hard and give your best effort and submit high-quality work all the time. They will also insist you abide by workplace norms such as dress code and other organizational policies. Their goal is to speak the truth in love so that you can be the best version of yourself. They also expect a healthy level of self-discipline, self-awareness, and self-restraint on the part of the individual. They desire exemplary followers who not only meet but exceed the standards.
On the other hand, an abusive or bullying boss deliberately provides you with false or misleading information, humiliates you in public, calls you demeaning names, puts the blame on you and treats you like a servant. They will steal your good ideas and attempt to “get you” if you don’t comply with their demands. They are prone to public displays of anger and attack the person on a personal level rather than criticizing their work. They insist on passive followers who pledge blind allegiance.
This made me think about my views on leadership. To me, the role of a leader is to provide a vision for the team, then to provide the resources to be successful. I believe that if a leader makes his team successful, he will be successful. This does not mean that one must spend more than the organization can afford, but what is within the capability of the organization. Also, staff see what is going on better than we want to acknowledge. If we say we cannot afford resources for staff to be successful, or remove unnecessary stress, and then spend money on secondary, frivolous, or extravagant personal items, then claim we cannot afford needed resources for our staff, we are seen hypocrites or like Scrooge. A team that knows that they are important, respected, and supported will always provide more than a team that feels used and abused.
A leader must lead not push, it is too easy to sit in ones office, and issue orders or commands, and criticism when things are not done. It is much harder to be involved in your team, to provide the support they need. This does not mean abdicating your responsibility but providing support to your team to achieve the goals of the organization.
This last paragraph is very important. The quid pro quo for this kind of leader is that each member of the team must provide an honest days work for an honest days pay. That means that there is no room for toxic people or people that are just looking for a free ride. As the article says, a leader must speak the truth in love. The objective is to help the team succeed, both individually and corporately.
For further discussions about this kind of leadership please contact BitLedger.
Author: Russ Bell CEO
bitledger.ca 