Why is it that after the traditional mother-in-law, it is the BOSS who is the most hated target of all your frustrations? Why are comic strips like ‘Dilbert’ so popular? What is it about a boss that is oh so ‘bossy’? Are you a lousy boss? The famous ad of a placement company has generated a generic name for such bosses. Yes, Hari Sadu has become a universal brand name for all bad bosses. What are the characteristic traits that turn a normal human being into a sadistic ‘Hari Sadu’?

Are these bosses a product of the same system that mothers-in-law are?  Does the psychology pattern of ‘since I was treated poorly by my boss / mother-in-law, I must do the same with my employee / daughter-in-law’ work here? The well known motivational speaker Denis Waitley says, “Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man’s character give him power.” So is it a case of absolute power corrupting absolutely?

Most bosses can tell if they are liked or disliked by their subordinates. They don’t need a sixth sense to discern that. The signs are there for all to see, including the boss himself. How can you tell if you are actually disliked by your ‘work force’?

A high employee attrition rate in your company of course underlines a deep discontentment with your working style. If such a thing is happening in your company, do take a deep look at yourself. The problem is that a bad boss is always surrounded by sycophants. They regularly keep boosting his ego. In such a scenario, a boss very rarely gets a realistic feedback about his actions and his policies. If you are trying to turn a new leaf, beware of these sycophants. They are in any case sub-standard employees, because no employee worth his salt will remain in a suppressive environment for long. At least not in our booming economy!

If you are a boss, in whatever capacity, you need to continually evaluate yourself. You have to deliberately desist from stifling your juniors. Stop looking over their shoulders all the time. Don’t micro-manage everything. Trust your sub-ordinates to carry out their charter of responsibilities. Don’t be on the lookout to catch their each and every mistake. If you carry on doing these things, very soon your employees will become a nervous wreck. They will stay in a constant state of fear, and as you well know, no one can perform to their optimum ability under fear.

Under such circumstances, the employees stop taking initiative in any thing. They wait for you to give guidelines on every issue. ‘Why risk being insulted and rejected?’ is a common refrain amongst sub-ordinates of a bad boss. So don’t let your ego determine your actions. Don’t ever verbally abuse an employee. Respect for a fellow human being is of paramount importance in any working relationship. Don’t be unnecessarily critical of your juniors’ efforts. If they had the same knowledge, experience, and skill set that you have, they would have been sitting in your place. The fact that you are their leader makes you superior to them in a way; but you don’t have to carry a chip on your shoulder all the time.

If you carry on being unpleasant, you will encourage people to lie to you. People will start hiding the unpleasant truths from you, and your organization will suffer the brunt of your arrogance. You also end up choking your juniors’ learning process. A good leader always ensures that processes and checks are in place, so that he doesn’t need to interfere at each step. Leaders need to inculcate the habit of being patient with their employees. Patience is a hallmark of a mature person.

Over- direction and over-management must be avoided under all circumstances. Don’t stifle others’ growth by doing this. Don’t change your orders too often. Be clear about what you want your employees to do. Don’t berate your juniors, especially in front of their juniors. If you do that, people will invent scapegoats and excuses to cover themselves.

Learn to appreciate people and their efforts. People become committed workers when they are appreciated. They often put up their best efforts to earn your praise. Don’t let go of such opportunities to earn goodwill. Just this one act on your part is sufficient to help people see you in a new light.

Instead of being a ‘boss’, try being a ‘leader’. Don’t remain a captive of your own outdated beliefs. They don’t work any more. If you want to earn your employees’ respect, you need to start respecting them first. It is as simple as that. We all carry our useless baggage from the past, it is time to shed that baggage now and turn a new leaf.

‘Hari Sadu’, any one?