When the boss fears to be put aside, and forgets the interest of the group he’s leading
by Giulio Simeone
Santa Marinella (Italy), Monday, August 15th, 2016
NOTE: You can found the Italian version of this article here
One of the main features that a good boss should have is that of pursuing in every moment and every circumstances the interest of the group he’s leading. Also, sometimes, putting himself aside. Indeed, it’s not the only feature he should have, but it’s an essential feature. Is it a feature that belongs to all the bosses? Absolutely not, let’s see which reasons often keep away bosses from pursuing the interest of the group, either when they lead a larger or a smaller group. It is clear that there can be a wide range of situations, so the dynamics that we are going to describe don’t exhaust all the bad behaviours that a boss can enact.
Fear of being dethroned
Without any doubt, the most shameful reasons of a boss not pursuing the interest of the group, are corruption and nepotism, that is, the practice to hire or to favour relatives and friends besides their effective credits. But a boss can be misled from the interest of the group also by reasons that are more psychological or personal. Above all, by that of the jealousy of his role, triggered by a more or less hidden fear of being dethroned. In the presence of a much skilled subordinate, who under certain aspects exceeds him in proficiency, the good boss does all he can do in order to emphasize and exploit his qualities: he knows that this goes in the interest of the group, and, even if one day the young yuppie will actually get to undermine his leadership, the results achieved by the group will turn to his advantage. Maybe the young yuppie will eventually replace the boss, but this latter, having produced good results, will climb even more in the company’s hierarchy, or maybe he will reach a leading position in other companies.
Constant need of confirmations
A selfish boss, instead, is bothered by a subordinate worker who demonstrates an excessive skill and proactivity; even when the boss’position is out of question, he is likely to trash the ideas, the opinions and the projects of the subordinate only for the psychological need of affirming his autority, and to keep the control of the operations. In the same way, the bad boss will be likely to harass his subordinates with constraints and procedures which increase his power of control, even when controls aren’t strictly necessary.
The altruist boss is more loved
An altruist manager; instead, doesn’t need any confirmation: he knows straight from the beginning he has been put at the head of the group because he has the skills and the experience that he needs, and doesn’t have to demonstrate nothing to anyone, least of all he needs in every moment to demonstrate to be the leader, like the selfish boss. He cares only about the interest and the health of the group. Does an altruist mental attitude always turn to the boss’advantage? In most cases we believe so, obviously there can be circumstances in which, from a professional point of view, an excessive altruism turns out to be counterproducing, but a thing we can say for sure: a boss that cares more about the group than about himself, has much more chances to be loved and appreciated by his subordinates and co-workers, and so to spend his working days more quietly. Which can be worth more than some extra hundred dollars on his paycheck.
