What Kind of Boss Would You Like to Be? – Asrar Qureshi’s Blog Post 964

What Kind of Boss Would You Like to Be?  – Asrar Qureshi’s Blog Post 964

Dear Colleagues! This is Asrar Qureshi’s Blog Post 963 for Pharma Veterans. Pharma Veterans Blogs are published by Asrar Qureshi on its dedicated site https://pharmaveterans.com. Please email to aq.pharmaveterans@gmail.com for publishing your contributions here.

Credit: August de Richelieu

Credit: RDNE Stock project

Credit: RDNE Stock project

Opening Statement

Boss is a position, not a title, and it is found at all levels of society. The lady at the house is the boss of domestic help, the husband is the boss of the lady of the house, the contractor is the boss of labor, the shopkeeper is the boss of his staff, and the list goes on. What I am saying is that the behavior of bosses should be seen in this context. Having roamed around in several countries on business, I can vouch that while many features are common, others vary from culture to culture.

Universal Features of Usual Bosses

Personal Features

All bosses feel powerful. The feeling arises from the fact that they have the power to keep or terminate employment, reward or punish performance, and influence staff in legitimate and illegitimate ways. The feeling of powerfulness is proportional to the actual power vested in that position; senior bosses will feel more powerful. Despite all the talk about humility in leadership, servant leaders, level five leadership, the attitudes have not changed in any perceptible manner. There may be individual variations based on an individual’s personal value system.

Most bosses like to appear tough. They, therefore, set unrealistic expectations for the employees and when they do not achieve these, they are scolded, abused and mistreated. It is a demonstration to the other employees to ‘Do More”.

Most bosses like to divide their teams into favorites and non-favorites. The favorites receive privileges, praises, and even credits for work done by others. The non-favorites get more workload, are deprived of privileges and are generally discriminated against.

Most bosses like to give answers to all questions and solutions to all problems that are presented to them. They like to appear all knowledgeable, experienced, and most competent. 

Most bosses like to take decisions, alone. Even when they make an appearance of consultative and participative management, it is a sham. They would like to bulldoze their own decisions even through the group.

Most bosses like to take credit of all that happens in their department. They present a picture that they have total control over things, and nothing happens without their knowledge and/or consent.

Most bosses like to use the word “I’. I do this, I asked to do this, I know this, I planned this, I do not allow this, and the ‘I’ goes on.

Most bosses like to create and maintain toxic environment at the workplace so that their supremacy and rule is never challenged. 

Culture Based Features

In Pakistan, we come from patriarchal, feudal background. We inherently carry the tendency certain traits which we display as a boss.

Most bosses consider that they are not at par with their team, that they are superior, and their rule over team is ordained by the divine forces.

Most bosses consider their employees to be their property, just like slaves’ and treat them in the same way. 

Most bosses tend to use abusive, inappropriate language with their colleagues, this is even more so in their absence.

Most bosses do not have normal behavior towards their female staff. They would either denigrate them, and treat them with disrespect, or try to influence them, entice, or force them to have relationship with them. 

Exclusive Features of Exemplary Bosses

Great bosses are humble. During his 11-year tenure as CEO of Merck, Ken Frazier gained widespread respect for spurring organizational performance without compromising his strong personal values. “I thought it was important to be humble”’, he said in a conversation. “When I was in the CEO chair, my job was to serve my employees and patients; it was not about me”.

Great bosses make great teams. They collect the right talent and nurture them to get the best out of them. They develop people and encourage them to take on new, bigger responsibilities at various timelines in future. 

Great bosses take everyone together, without discriminating against anyone, neither do they allow any team member to discriminate. 

Great bosses delegate. They push responsibilities towards their team members and encourage them to take on responsibilities and learn. 

Great bosses treat everyone with respect and promote a culture of dignity and respect for everyone. They never use inappropriate language or disrespectful behavior.

Great leaders create and maintain a pleasant, learning, and congenial environment where everyone learns, innovates, experiments, and does his/her best.

Great leaders have great soft skills. They are great listeners, have deep empathy, and practice emotional intelligence.

What Kind of Boss Would You Like to Be?

The choice is certainly yours.

I do understand that almost all of us start the journey of leadership in a more conventional way, which is okay. As we gain experience, we come into our own style. 

I would like that everyone should strive to grow and become a great boss. This road is a little tough, but it is highly rewarding.

If you choose to be a great boss, you will lead a life of satisfaction, appreciation, and respect beyond words.

What Do You Say?

Concluded.

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