Set aside political (or otherwise) beliefs for a moment and work with me. 
I was at a dinner with about twenty people where one person discussed “Blind Allegiance,” the “tell-all” book about Sarah Palin written by an ex-staffer. “Supposedly,” he said, “She took credit for other people’s ideas, used her position to push personal agendas, ignored her responsibilities so she could focus on moving up… I would hate to work for someone like her.”
Let’s get this out of the way: I have no idea if the allegations in the book are true, and really don’t care. Not only do I not have informed opinions, I truly have no interest in politics or politicians. (I know that makes me a bad person so there’s no need to tell me in the comments.)
I stayed quiet as they talked about Palin and bad bosses and intolerable employment situations in general until the conversation started to die down, then almost without thinking said, “You know… working for someone like that can be great.”
Wow the room got quiet.
Again, I don’t know if Palin would be a good or a bad boss; for the sake of discussion let’s assume her ex-staffer’s book is accurate. No boss is perfect, and bad bosses can actually be great to work for — especially when you stop complaining and start taking advantage of the opportunities inherent in the attributes and behaviors of a “bad boss.”
Here are a just a few examples:
- Your boss takes credit for your ideas. First, all bosses take credit to some extent. A leader’s job is to harness the skills and talents of her team and to sometimes serve as the focal point for sharing those ideas. When that happens, don’t worry; others soon sniff out a boss who consistently takes credit for your ideas. In a way their behavior serves to highlight just how important your contributions really were, sometimes more than if you were simply given due credit in the first place. Subtly convey your role by answering questions, providing information, and leading the implementation and your contributions will not go unnoticed. Bonus advantage: A boss who takes credit for your ideas typically has no ideas of her own, so you enjoy considerable creative freedom.
- Your boss is vindictive. Granted a spiteful, vengeful boss can be terrible to work for but there is one major positive: You appear almost saintly by comparison. I once worked for a true Boss from Hades and instead of getting tarred by the same devilish brush was praised for interpersonal skills that in another setting would have simply met expectations. (Plus I got the, “Jeez you have my sympathies having to work for that guy,” bonus.) Work for a boss with great interpersonal skills and others may assume your behavior is due to their stellar leadership; work for a petty, vindictive boss and your professionalism sparkles in comparison. Bonus advantage: You often find yourself soothing hurt feelings and rebuilding inter-departmental relationships, leading to great opportunities to expand your personal network. And, learning to mend fences is an invaluable skill you can use forever.
- Your boss is only focused on her career. All bosses are (and should be) career-focused to some extent. And it’s your job to make your boss look good. So instead of thinking, “She only cares about getting promoted,” take a different perspective. Promotions are typically based on accomplishments, so by generating ideas, driving initiatives, leading projects, and networking with others you and your team achieve more. Your boss will appreciate the boost to her career, and you benefit from the opportunity to spread your professional wings. Bonus advantage: A boss who focuses primarily on managing up typically spends little time managing down, so you basically work unsupervised.
- Your boss feels the rules don’t apply — at least to her. This one is easy: Always assume the rules do apply to you. Don’t take advantage, even if your boss suggests breaking a guideline is okay. Just smile if offered and say, “I appreciate the gesture, but that’s okay…” Will turning her down be awkward? Absolutely. Doesn’t matter. Acting in an ethical and professional manner is always important, but even more so when your boss does not. Believe me, others in the organization will notice. Bonus advantage: When you inevitably get promoted, often because your bad boss fell by the wayside, you take on the role with the respect your sterling record deserves.
Bottom line: At some point we will all work for a bad boss. You have two choices: Whine and complain and let your performance suffer, or accept the situation and take advantage of the opportunity. The behavior of every bad boss, no matter how terrible, creates openings for you to expand your role, be more creative, and basically shine in comparison.
You can’t always choose who you work for, but you can always choose how you respond.
Related:
- The 5 Essential Missions of a Great Manager
- 7 Things Employees are Thinking — But Won’t Say
- 5 Great Leadership Lessons You Don’t Want to Learn the Hard Way
Photo courtesy flickr user david_shankbone, CC 2.0
