Good Bosses are Good, Bad Bosses are Better

I recently read a quote on Facebook which reads: “A bad job with good boss is better than a good job with bad boss.” This quote was liked and endorsed by a large number of people, which shows that most people think that the quote is right. I however, disagree with the quote. I have learned from my experience that you grow best when you work with the so called bad bosses. Let me explain why?

WHO IS A GOOD BOSS?

There is no universally accepted definition of good or bad boss. Usually we consider a boss good, when we ‘feel’ good working with him. A boss is good for us when he may have following qualities.

1: Think Similarly:- When you and your boss think alike on most matters, you consider your boss to be good because there is little chance of conflict between you and you always feel good working with him. 

2: Interfere Rarely:- If your boss does not interfere in your work, you are very happy with him and call him a good boss.

3: Kind Unconditionally:-If your boss has the reputation to being nice and kind to everyone all the time and never punish anyone, he is bound to be extremely popular and rated as a good boss.

WHO IS A BAD BOSS?

A bad boss is one who makes you ‘feel’ bad. If your boss is not good all the time, you consider him bad. If your boss has helped you hundred times but punished you only once, you don’t remember those hundred acts of goodness, but remember that one punishment. However, it may be a blessing in disguise to work under such a so called bad boss. Let us examine why?

1: Think Differently:- When the thoughts of your boss does not match with your own, you are always uncomfortable working with him. You face conflicts with your boss internally and externally. Yet the strength of your character and your ability to follow your conviction is tested only under such bosses. It has been my experience that I have learned most under such bosses because there has always been an opposite point of view from the boss, which I was often forced to accept and even implement. I always believe in giving my frank view even if that is overruled by the boss. Eventually either I or my boss would be proven to be right. I have never found my views to be always proven right or the view of the boss always proven wrong. If my views are mostly right, often the boss would start giving more importance to my views and if the views of the boss is mostly right, I would develop more faith on his decision-making and also learn a couple of new things from the boss. Hence in the process, both I and my boss learned from each other. 

2: Drive Forcefully:- If a boss does not interfere with the work of anyone, soon many power centers are created in the organization, where everyone thinks that he is the boss.  This leads to chaos in the organization where everyone is pulling everyone else in his own direction. Soon the organization loses its direction as all its energies are dissipated in internal conflicts.  A leader must have a vision for the organization and courage to implement it. However, every action produces reaction from people within and without, who are adversely affected by such action. An effective boss has to ensure that everyone falls in line for the benefit of the organization, which is bound to antagonize some people.  If you are one of them, you are sure to feel bad working under such bosses and even hate them. It is better to use such opportunity to get out of your complacency mode and march shoulder-to-shoulder with your boss and prove that you are better than the rest. I can assure you that you will soon become a better leader working under such boss.

3: Discriminate Effectively:- If your boss is good for everyone, he is usually good for none. You tend to lose motivation working under such bosses because he fails to appreciate your good work and punish others for their bad work. Imagine a boss who gives 10/10 to all subordinates because he has to be good for everyone. Such a good boss is actually a timid boss who is scared of annoying anyone. Alexander the Great once said, “I am not afraid of an army of lions led by a sheep; I am afraid of an army of sheep led by a lion.” If you work under such bosses, you will soon become a sheep yourself even if you had been a lion earlier. A boss who discriminate good and bad officials is usually unpopular because good people are always in minority in most organizations. If you are on the ‘wrong’ side of such boss, it is the right time to introspect. Instead of cursing him for being inhuman and unfair, focus on becoming better than what you had ever been and create excellence for the self and the organization. 

THE BAD-BAD BOSS

There are of course some bosses who are bad for everyone and it is a torture to work with them. Thankfully, such bosses are rare and they are usually fired in a good Corporate and shunted to insignificant position in government organization if firing is almost an impossible option. 

It is always a pleasure to work with good bosses but one who can perform only with good boss leaves himself at the mercy of others. Let us not pray to work only with good bosses but pray to become stronger to excel with even the bad bosses. When you are able to produce great results with good as well as bad bosses, you take control in your life in your hand and become the master of your destiny.

Let’s remember the words of Jim Rohn, an American entrepreneur, author and motivational speaker.

Don't wish it were easier; wish you were better.

Don't wish for less problems; wish for more skills.

Don't wish for less challenges; wish for more wisdom.