The worst boss I ever had…….?
Everyone wants a good boss, they help make the best of our talents. Positivity and encouragement make us shine and the opposite can dim our lights altogether. Whatever we get from our bosses also waterfalls down to our team and those around us.
I’ve had pretty good bosses over my 30 years so far. In fact, all of my bosses taught me something, helped me grow and they were all inspirational in some way.
There was one however who was incredibly hard to work with even to the point of being intimidating and counterproductive.
This person was a good person but was striving to over achieve to prove themselves and be accepted. They also had a tendency to over-control as they sought to protect themselves from failures.
Being with them was sometimes a stressful experience, often to the point of taking all the joy out of work. Unsurprisingly the impact was also with me at home, often leaving me feeling anxious and unsure of myself. Being with this boss was an uncomfortable experience as they were demanding but chaotic in their management. One time micro-managing other times restless and focussing on something else altogether. It was difficult to feel empowered, trusted and supported.
As a result my motivation sometimes dropped and my confidence could get knocked. This made it harder for me to lead my team and be who they needed me to be too. It also made it hard for me to arrive home and feel positive about the day’s efforts, there was always something I could have done more of or been better at.
And there’s the thing. We take so much of our identity, purpose and re-assurance from our time at work that dysfunctional bosses or teams have a major effect on not only our performance at work but our general well-being and impact outside the workplace.
And who takes the impact when we are feeling frustrated with work? Of course, those who work around us and those we love at home time.
So you maybe wondering if I am going to name and shame this awful boss, and I will do although it is a little awkward!
The worst boss I ever had was me! And as soon as I say this I know many of you will recognise this statement. We are often our own worst enemy. We can literally be the enemy of our abilities, our potential and our wellbeing. Masters of self doubt and pointing out the fault. But rest easy, it is natural; we are all inflicted with the same human condition – a condition that has taught us to constantly scan the horizon for fearful situations and our left brain is brilliant at it, beating ourselves up for the things we aren’t doing, have missed or could do better. The result is we seldom appreciate ourselves or feel positive about what we have done or who we are….. The good news is we can easily do something about it.
If this sounds familiar you will be interested in the Positive Intelligence programme. This is an amazing programme designed to release you from the saboteurs in life and help you live in a really positive space. Here’s a link to our free positive intelligence assessment, so you too can work out if you too are the worst boss you ever had!
So as you gather your thoughts as the year-end approaches give some thought to how you let yourself lead. What is getting in your way from empowering yourself and people around you and being able to lead with light and energy?
Also, are you getting what you need from those leading you, and are you being able to generate what your team needs?
At the end of the day, it all waterfalls down. At Gather Coaching, we stand for aligning leaders in their positive power. It makes a big difference at home and at work. See the testimonials we have.