Dealing with Incompetent and Ineffective Leaders (part 2)

A normal reaction to working under an incompetent and/or ineffective leader is to try to fix or replace the leader you’re working for, but that is usually not an option for leaders in the middle of the organization. It may not be easy, but it is possible to survive – and even flourish in a situation like this. Continued from yesterday, here are some additional recommendations: 4. Get Permission to Develop a Game Plan to Complement Your Leader’s Weaknesses: Besides leveraging your strengths, one of the other secrets to job success is to staff up for your weaknesses. As a leader, you would be wise to empower some people who work for you to fill in your talent gaps. For example, if you are not good at details, then hire someone who is and have them work closely with you. You can play that same gap-filling role with your leader. You must be very careful, however, in the way you approach this subject. Don’t offer your opinion on her weaknesses unless she asks, and even then, be tactful. If she identifies one of her weaknesses to you, privately ask if she would be willing to let you carry the ball in that area. The idea is to do what she can’t do so that she can do what she does best. 5. Expose Your Leader to Good Leadership Resources: If you are working to improve your leadership skills, then you’ve probably discovered many good leadership resources, such as books, CDs, DVDs, etc. Share those with your leader. Once again, the approach you take is very important. Rather than saying, “Boy, do you need this!” say something like, "I just got through with this book, and I thought you might enjoy it too.” Or, if you find some kind of connection or hook that you might think appeals to him, say, “I was reading this wonderful book, and I thought of you; the author and you have similar backgrounds. I think you might like it.” And then give him a copy of his own. If that resource is well received, you might try periodically following it up with others. 6. Publicly Affirm Your Leader: Some people fear that if they say positive things about an ineffective leader they work for, they will be misleading others. Or they worry that others will think they have poor judgment. But other people are aware of an ineffective leader’s limitations, and as long as your affirmation is truthful and focuses on your leader’s strengths, it won’t reflect badly on you. In fact, it will engender others’ respect. Your affirmation for your leader will help him develop confidence, not only in himself but also in you. Are you struggling under an ineffective and/or incompetent leader? Truth@Life can help. Call 248-396-6255 or email me at curtis.songer@gmail.com for a FREE consultation. For more info on help I can provide check out http://truthatlife.com/