On Leading with Greatness

Driving my bosses bonkers has always been my specialty. What better way to keep them on their toes? Besides, I figure, what else is a boss there for?

Way back in the 1900s, I was a professional set builder for a couple of major Philadelphia theaters. I was a decent enough carpenter, better than most, but my technique was somewhat unorthodox, which worked well in the quirky realm of theater. I was pretty happy with the gigs.

Bosses generally hate questions because, in their narrow thinking, questions, even when they ask them, are a sort of trap. Bosses fear that asking questions may make them seem confused, ignorant, and weak. That’s why so many bosses’ questions are actually lightly disguised accusations or threats: “When are you going to get that Fluggenhopper report to me, Jenkins? Don’t you know I have an early tee time tomorrow?”

But, let’s say an employee is the one asking questions. From the typical boss’s perspective a questioning employee represents several possible threats.

You know the phrase “like a boss?” It was the liveliest, hippest phrase in English a few years back. But, alas, it suffered an untimely and completely meaningless death upon the 2020 release of the the megaplex mediocrity Like a Boss. Prior to that, the phrase was inescapable, but what did it really mean?

Let me tell you about this truth my friend Jeff laid on me a few weeks ago. Jeff is a serial entrepreneur and all-around wise man, and he observed, “in any communication, the listener has all the power.” That profundity has been tumbling around in my head ever since. It’s a great way for leaders to think about communication. When it comes to a delivered message, the ear has it all over the mouth.

So if harassment, discrimination, and even stealing—all heinous practices—are not taboo, what is? What workplace practice, at its mere mention, universally causes us to recoil in dread and disdain and even disgust? What then is perhaps our greatest workplace taboo?

My brother, an engineer, used to design control systems for manufacturing plants. Many of his clients came from the pharmaceutical industry, which generated a ton of anecdotes about the wonderful wooly world of drug companies.

One of his best observations was what he dubbed the “rubber chicken effect.”

Okay, I admit that I spend way too much time grousing about bad bossing. I mean there have to be a few good bosses out to look up to, right? Well, I have done the research and can assure you that there are a some outstanding innovators to admire. Let’s check out a few of these trailblazers—explorers, if you will—boldly bossing where no boss has bossed before.

You have heard the proverb “cheaters never prosper.” Whadda load!

You know the guy. The one who puts a positive spin on every situation, who smooths over all the rough edges. At first it may seem okay. After all, who wants to deal with negative vibes? Dr. Goodvibes is here to make it all go away, to turn that frown upside down. When you are in Dr. Goodvibes’ presence, your worries disappear. There can be no regrets, no suffering. Setbacks, problems, even trauma are all just in your head, like delusions and hallucinations and nightmares. None of that bad stuff is real. Only the good prevails.

How can you use radical transparency to manufacture authority?

Responsibility without authority is a mess. If you are a boss, never ever put anyone in that situation. Never. If you are stuck with a crappy boss who subjects you to such abuse, consider embracing the mess and turning your greatest disadvantage into an advantage by owning it. Radical transparency — openly sharing your vulnerability — can be a powerful tool to win friends and allies and self-generate authority while keeping your integrity intact.