Subordinates sometimes make it extremely difficult for their bosses to be good leaders. Executives who fail to understand the forces at play may find their careers in jeopardy.
It’s hard to pick up a major management magazine–and we’re not excluding this one–and not find several articles outlining in painful detail where a leader went wrong in a particular case. Implicitly or explicitly in these stories, the employees are treated as receptive individuals waiting only for the boss to offer a productive channel to their intrinsic energies. But when a boss stumbles, it may be as a direct result of actions taken by employees who have sabotaged their actions. To keep this from happening, leaders must:
1. Understand the situation they are walking into. Leaders need to know how they are likely to be perceived
and what their predecessor was like.
2. Invest early in subordinates. New bosses need to spend significant time one-on-one with employees
for three reasons: to understand them; to get to know them; and to establish a rapport.
3. Be mindful of their own behavior. New leaders often overestimate the extent to which their good
intentions and good character will shine through. Demonstrating one’s “authentic self ” does not
mean “being natural.” Rather, it requires managers to seize everyday opportunities to demonstrate
that they are trustworthy, supportive and fair.
4. Intervene early. New bosses need to take action if there is a problem. Letting things fester only postpones the inevitable.
4 Comments On: Are Your Subordinates Setting You Up to Fail?
Excellent point which are very true in the current business world.
Thanks
Sudindar Rao
Resistance to chance makes Boss difficult in managing subordinate. I agree that the Boss should invest early in subordination and intervene. However things could be more complicated if the Superior of the Boss does not aware or do not want to aware the situation.
This could make subordinate fail the Boss.
Excellent article and it really makes you think I know I am the lead in my department and as a leader I do have a subordinate that has several times tried to set me up for failure and I have bit my tongue on several occasions with this person and I try to build up my patience wall again and look for ways to keep this person on the right track. Even my own boss says I need to treat with kid gloves because this person is one that needs constant supervision and you have to tell this person what they need to do everytime and this is getting old to. Right now this person has a severe lying problem and now it is hard to trust this person anymore. Deep down I hope the boss just lets this person go. This person is what I call and quoted in the article “dead wood”. This person refused to conform to way things need to be and what is worse I have tried and tried again to train this person in the processes that we have in Inspection and how things are to be inspected and yet this person goes out of the way to do his way and not the company way. Yes I agree there are many subordinates that feel they are more superior then the boss. I am now to the point the investing anymore time is a waste of precious time and money. This article is worth the time to read. Thanks
A couple of observations. One is what is said about you after you’ve been recruited, and before you arrive. If your boss has trailed your arrival with: ‘x will change, or y will be expected when newperson arrives’ then you may be walking into a hornet’s nest. Best to ask what they’ve been told in that initial 1:1. Body language can also say a lot.
The other is to note which individuals might have thought that your job should have been theirs. They may not have had the confidence, skills or experience to apply, nor have been supported to do so, but still resentments may simmer. Key indicators include refusal to give over responsibilities that really belong to you, or super-capability by direct reports so that you can add nothing to anything they are doing.
The only real solution if you want to keep everyone onside is to build up trust through appropriate praise and encouragement, and becoming known for removing any obstacles or confusions efficiently – in other words, earn your position.