Who’s the Boss?

Sometimes one tends to feel that we have learnt everything in couple of decades of corporate life. We tend to develop a distinct style of functioning, decision making, team management, demonstrating authority, commanding respect etc. It is at times planned, but a majority is based on our individual journey and what we are exposed to; hence what we adopt based on our sensibilities.

Within an organisation, one of the most sought after attributes is leadership qualities. I think it is important to look at leadership and qualities as separate attributes. Leadership is dependent on the role one is playing, the domain one is operating in, the task at hand, the goals, the time one had and the constraints etc. In my experience leadership is at every level and is not something which comes into play only when one is responsible for more than oneself. Qualities on the other hand are based on ones sensibilities. There are a lot of softer aspects to qualities that comes naturally.

Some of the instances mentioned below were when I have tried to find out who is the boss?  I have observed as much as I could and the impact they have on people around them. At times extreme level of insecurity stares at you, at times confidence, at times knowledge and at times arrogance about the knowledge. This is not specific to people in charge; it also includes people around them. Sometimes the chain of command is too obvious and funny. It resulted in creating some archetypes in my head. A majority of them will fall under these archetypes.

Authoritative: You just have to observe the people around him. They will nod their head profusely to everything. It might even seem that their head will get displaced from the socket. They will also pretend to be attentive. They will agree to everything that is thrown at them; if at all.

Unassuming: The people around him will contribute. They will have nice things to say about him before he comes in or even after he leaves. They will voice their opinion and most likely have a say in the decision making as well. Infact till the time the boss speaks up; it is will seem everyone is the boss.

Insecure: People around him will be the most cynical lot. They will always have an exit clause in every argument. Needless to say; they will have an “I always had my doubts” expression the moment their arguments are countered.

Autocratic: People around him will have nothing to contribute. It is better to bang your head on the wall than to get something out of them. Even the best jokes will be received with the faintest of smiles with one eye firmly fixed on the boss.

Indecisive: The people around him will be the least interested in getting things done. If there are five people in the room then all five will have an individual agenda.

I personally think everyone knows the chain of command. As long as the people you manage know where the buck stops and at which point; it is important to let them grow. It is important to give some control and nurture them. It is better to be in a position where people you are responsible for, are contributing their best not just as members of the team but as leaders.