I have worked in managerial positions since I was 21. With varying degrees of success and motivation. And both with and without direct reports. I have experienced the challenges of leading both upwards and downwards and I have wished both my employees and my superiors slow and painful deaths. OK, maybe not, but at least that they would disappear and leave me the hell alone and preferably never bother me again.I have lost my cool, my head and my will to live several times in my career.
But every time I have come back from my “I’m-telling-that-bloody-idiot-just-how-friggin-stupid-he-is-and-then-I’m-going-to-march-out-the-door-and-good-riddance”-moment it has been because I find the leadership role to be intrinsically meaningful.
And have had a couple of very good coaches. Or conversation partners. Or sparring buddies. Whatever you want to call them, they have been genuinely interested, and not afraid to ask me extremely uncomfortable questions that often have made me realise that perhaps I wasn’t exactly the hero I thought myself to be.
I have also been an employee without access to the leadership and with no leadership responsibilities. That’s also quite bothersome and frustrating sometimes. And that is good to remember when you, in your infinite wisdom as a leader, have made a perfectly reasonable decision and could everybody just grow a pair of tits and stop whining and bloody well make this change happen, thank you very much. Then remember that the villainous employees quite possibly see themselves as the heroes of La Resistance…
