MBR ISSUE 44

Malta Business Review
LEADERSHIP
DON'T BE A BOSS - BE A LEADER
By Brigette Hyacinth
I have worked for many bosses but few leaders. Working
under a bad boss can make a good job even in the best
company, unbearable. As the saying goes, people don't
leave bad jobs, they leave bad bosses.
Brigette Hyacinth
Author: The Future of Leadership: Rise of Automation, Robotics and Artificial Intelligence
Here are the four types of bad bosses that
make employees want to quit companies:
1) “Marionette” - In an age of uncertainty,
many managers are yielding to this trap of
just playing it safe to preserve their position
and privileges. They just follow orders. They
are mere puppets and exude no loyalty to
employees. It's demotivating working for a
manager who does not stand up for their
team. If you make a mistake they quickly turn
into judge , jury and executioner. It's hard to
feel passion for a job when you experience
this.
2) “King Kong” - Some bosses when they reach
to the top immediately forget where they
came from. These type of managers possess
a superiority complex and like to draw the
distinction between management and staff.
It is dreadful to work under a manager who
is more worried about pushing their weight
around than building relationships. Great
leaders don’t talk down to their employees.
They treat everyone with respect.
3) “Superman” - They think the organization
revolves around them. Some start behaving
like they are the owners of the company. This
trap includes making all of the decisions solo,
ignoring feedback you don't like and taking the
credit." Letting your ego get ahead of you and
thinking you know it all is a sure path to failure.
Showing some humility and vulnerability
allows you to strengthen relations with your
team.
4) “Taskmaster” - Their sole focus is on the
bottom-line. They use the carrot and stick
approach to motivation which clearly doesn't
work. Continuously drilling employees is
a sure way make them unhappy at work.
Micromanagement suffocates, demoralizes
and kills creativity. These managers get so
caught up in the bottom line that they forget
to treat people with dignity and respect. Very
few bosses show empathy towards their
team members and this helps improve overall
morale and performance.
Then there is the LEADER. A leader coaches,
supports and inspires. He/she puts the interests
of their team before their own. Leaders develop
safe atmospheres where risk-taking and
feedback is welcomed. They take care of their
team. The focus is to help everyone around
them succeed. They push their team to grow
and become their very best. A leader never
leaves any of his team members to hang out dry.
When a leader is at the helm, employees feel
valued and appreciated. The corporate world
is littered with managers but lacks leaders.
Employees long for managers who are leaders.
Lauralee emailed me this: "I worked for a
company in Brussels a few years ago when
my brother had cancer. In that year, I had ten
weeks leave visiting him and then, when he
died, attending his funeral). When I asked my
manager, Eric how I could repay the company
for all these extra holidays, he simply replied
"they weren't holidays, don't worry about it". To
this day, Eric was the best manager I ever had... I
would walk over hot coals for him!"
Bad bosses cost the world economy an
estimated $360 billion in productivity. Employee
engagement is at an all-time low (32%). Usually
when an employee has an issue with their
company, it has to do with something regarding
their manager. Companies need to take a closer
look at their managers and their leadership style.
"An employee's
motivation is a direct
result of the sum of
interactions with his or
her manager
Employee engagement is more of a manager
issue. 75% of American workers say their boss
is the worst and most stressful part of their
jobs. How bad are they? Bad enough for 65%
of respondents to say they’d rather have a new
boss over a pay raise. Can a manager become a
leader? Yes, it's possible. Sometimes it just takes
being human and developing your people skills.
Technical skills alone do not keep employees
motivated. In this Artificial Intelligence economy,
the new smart is not determined by IQ but by
EQ. It's about listening, relating, collaborating
and connecting with your team. This takes
humility, authenticity and empathy.
Studies have shown that leading with vision,
inspiration, and purpose, produces better
bottom-line results as well as happier, more
engaged employees. If we want employees
to feel commitment to the organization; we
need to show we respect and value them. The
"human touch" makes all the difference. If you
want to make a lasting positive impact - Don't be
a boss, be a leader! MBR
All rights reserved - Copyright 2018
- Bob Nelson
The Future of Leadership: Rise of Automation, Robotics and
Artificial Intelligence
This book offers the most comprehensive view of what is taking place in the world of AI and emerging technologies,
and gives valuable insights that will allow you to successfully navigate the tsunami of technology that is coming our way.
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