Things You Can Learn From a Bad Boss

A bad boss doesn't come with a flashing neon sign, so it's wise to learn how to overcome poor leadership when you can't avoid it. Surrendering to frustration can sink your performance, making it beneficial to see the positive in an unpleasant situation. Let the behavior and qualities of a bad boss show you what not to do, and use your observations to become a leader employers value.

1. It's Not That Serious

Mistakes happen no matter how carefully you plan, and managers who blow up over small obstacles send the message that being human is intolerable. Workers feel unsupported and avoid speaking up about major problems out of fear of being abused. Good leaders weigh the severity of a problem, adapt and move on while showing the team how to improve in the future. Practice reminding yourself that most work problems are not life or death, so you can stay calm and focus on a resolution.

2. Some Managers Need Managing

Whether you're dealing with a deserter or a scatterbrain, a bad boss who avoids delegating, making decisions and handling workplace conflicts creates a chaotic environment with no accountability. You have a choice: find another job, give in to the disorder or learn to manage up. In the last scenario, you take charge of discussing progress markers, outlining your contributions and making suggestions about project goals. While it puts more responsibility on your shoulders, you develop leadership qualities that stand out to other co-workers and recruiters.

3. Act With Purpose

Watching a bad boss alienate people, micromanage employees, misinform customers or drive away good opportunities makes you wonder how an emotionally unintelligent person climbed the ranks to win a leadership position. Instead of dwelling on bad experiences, pay attention to the body language and behavioral cues of everyone around you. Listen to others' complaints, including your boss's, and become knowledgeable about policies or sales techniques that advance the company. Instead of being reactive, adapt your communication style to dispel workplace conflicts, connect with customers and market yourself to company leaders.

4. Ask for Promotions

In many cases, a bad boss lacks a vision of how to nurture employee development and leverage talent to produce better outcomes. Your first instinct may be resentment, but you should realize a manager who doesn't think about promotions is often more receptive to influence. A manager may assume that no one wants more responsibility or may be too preoccupied to make promotions a priority. In either case, develop a pitch outlining your skills and contributions, and clearly state what role you want to pursue next. Make it easy for bosses to visualize your ideal career path.

5. Necessity Breeds Creativity

Making up for bad leadership forces you to be resourceful, discerning and empathetic. While a bad boss makes your job harder, you learn creative ways of working around the dead weight to get accurate information, prioritize your workload and build relationships with other hardworking employees. Similarly, working for an attention seeker who always steals the credit can help you keep your own ego in check and invent thoughtful ways to show recognition for co-workers.

Mimicking a bad boss can negatively impact your personality. Treat every bad encounter as a learning experience so you can reach your peak performance when you land your dream job.

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