What To Do When Your Boss Is Getting It Wrong

Have you ever questioned a decision made by leadership? Maybe EVERY decision made by leadership?

The answer is yes.

Everybody, at some point, questions those in leadership. In some cases, the questions are warranted. But in every case, there is a danger in not knowing what we don’t know.

Let me explain by pointing to an older news article published in the NY Times, and then we will circle back and try to learn something together.

Remember the season in our country where President George W. Bush was being heavily criticized for leading our country into a war after claiming Iraq was militarizing weapons of mass destruction (WMD)? Remember how some in the media (well, the vast majority in the media) raked the President over the coals when no WMD could be found. Remember how the Democrats capitalized on this news. Politicized this news?

Well, as it turns out, chemical weapons WERE found – a ton of them! However, for national security reasons (among others, I assume), the American public was not informed of these findings. Why? I’m not certain, because I’m not that smart and I’m not the President. But here is what I do know, and again, here is what this recent revelation should help us all remember:

Our leaders carry a heavier weight than we do, they have more information than we do, and they are forced to make decisions and set directions in the face of our criticism without us knowing the full story.

I know using the President as an example is a bit extreme, but consider this: At any point in time, half the country is outraged about a presidential decision, yet nobody in the country, other than the President, has the full knowledge he has, or carries the full weight he carries.

The same is true for every leader, including our bosses. Until you feel the full weight your boss carries, it’s unfair to assume we know more or would decide differently. It’s unfair to fully question leadership without fully sharing the weight they carry.

Here are a 5 tips that might help you see and interact with your boss in a new light:

1. Recognize that you carry a different weight.

I know you might be leading a lot, are spread thin, and feel the weight of your responsibilities, but the person above you feels that in multiples. In my last organizational job, I had eight direct reports. That means at a minimum, I felt eight times the weight of any one of my direct reports. Sure, it’s probably not that simple, but it’s not that far off, either.

Application: Recognize that leadership comes with different weights.