Suzanne Bates is the author of two business best-sellers, Motivate like a CEO, Communicate Your Strategic Vision and Inspire People to Act! and Speak Like a CEO, Secrets for Commanding Attention and Getting Results. She is President and CEO of Bates Communications and author of www.thepowerspeakerblog.com.
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Shakespeare once said, “Heavy is the head that wears the crown.” If you are a boss you may feel frustrated when you get feedback that people perceive you as tough. Is tough a good thing, or not? In my book, being tough-minded is essential. That’s not the same as being a jerk. But if you aren’t focused and results oriented, you don’t belong in the job.
Recently I came across an article on Boston.com with tips on dealing with “dominant bosses,” by Keith Ayers, of Integro Leadership, a business management consultancy. While it was written for employees, if you ARE the boss it clarifies how to advise people to work with you.
1. Be Straightforward - your boss is a straight shooter and takes pride in calling a spade a spade. A tough boss values people who are open, honest and direct.
2. Stay Busy - display a sense of urgency on the job. Your boss is task oriented and wants to know you are getting things done.
3. Make Quick Decisions - your boss takes pride in being decisive. If you don’t operate at the same speed you may be evaluated as inefficient, indecisive or just slow.
4. Talk about Results - dominant bosses are goal oriented and measure progress with real results. Understand the larger objectives and talk with your boss about how you are getting there.
5. Understand Impatience - a tough minded boss has a sense of urgency and will often rush to judgment. To this I would add, adapt to your environment and adopt a sense of genuine urgency yourself.
6. Don’t Take it Personally - your boss by nature has to look out for the greater good and sometimes that means making decisions that are not popular.
7. Require Respect - important advice - your boss would want to know if you think he or she has treated you with disrespect. Don’t sit and stew about it. Bring it up and discuss it openly.
