Three Lessons You Can Learn From Bad Bosses

Bad bosses provide powerful lessons.

Are there really bad bosses?

Of course there are.

But are there also things we can learn from different personality types and management styles? 

Absolutely!

One of my father’s favorite past times growing up was coming up with summer jobs for my brother and me.

And not just jobs for us to earn a little money, mind you.

No, his goal was for us to have jobs that would ‘build character’. 

From the time I was in grade school I spent my summers painting outhouses, shingling barns, picking raspberries, inspecting machines at a treadmill factory, painting patio roofs (who knew there were so many nooks and crannies in those things!), mowing lawns, and cleaning hotel rooms.

By the time I got to be a groom and muck stalls it thought I was in heaven. 

In all those jobs I had bosses that never knew I existed, thought I was completely incompetent, didn’t speak English, and just plain didn’t like me. 

More than once I came home crying and wanted to quit. 

But quitting wasn’t an option with my dad.

Period. 

Instead, he taught me to learn something from every boss, even if it was simply what I never wanted to do or be if I was ever a boss.

Lesson 1: Not everyone likes you.

We all know that there are some people who just rub us wrong.

They say things that annoy us, they remind us of someone we don’t like, or for some reason we can’t quite put our finger on, we just don’t like them.

Bosses are people too.

They are responsible for managing people they get along with and people they don’t. They are responsible for playing referee when coworkers clash and they have good days and bad.

Don’t worry whether or not your boss likes you or if you’re going to win the Employee of the Month Award. 

Try not to let it be personal.

Instead just focus on doing your job to the best of your ability - Every. Single. Day.

Work hard, be respectful, show up early, stay late, don’t talk back, and leave your personal life at home. 

Even if your boss doesn’t like you personally, for whatever reason, they will surely respect you and be able to give you a good recommendation when you leave.

Lesson 2: Some bosses aren’t ‘people’ people.

To excel in the horse industry you need to be good with horses or good with people but not necessarily with both.

Some bosses excel at managing horses but their interpersonal skills are lacking.

Some bosses are extremely personable and likeable but not the most competent horsemen or women.

Whether or not your boss is interested in your personal life or your happiness shouldn’t matter.

It’s great if you get along and you like to be around them but it can be equally rewarding to maintain a strictly professional relationship with your boss and leave the rest at home.

It’s not always your fault if they don’t like you and it might not be theirs either.

Some people just aren’t ‘people’ people and they can’t help it.

Don’t take it personally.

Take it as an excellent opportunity to learn how you will deal with clients or employees of your own one day who also aren’t ‘people’ people.

Lesson 3: Some bosses will teach you everything you don’t want to do or be as a boss, and that’s ok.

At some point in your career you will likely work for someone who is most definitely a bad boss.

They may be rude, temperamental, unreasonable, confusing, or degrading.

They might be micromanagers when you need room for creativity or provide no leadership when you require guidance.

Whatever the case may be bad bosses can actually teach you a lot too.

I would probably not be as forgiving had I never worked for someone who gave me a verbal lashing any time I messed up. 

I would never avoid micromanaging had I not worked for someone who controlled every aspect of my job. 

I would probably never invest in training others had I not worked for someone who assumed I knew how to do things I didn’t. 

I’m not saying I’m the world’s best boss, but one thing’s for sure, any good traits I have stem more from frustration with bosses that didn’t have them than appreciation for bosses that did.

Even today, over 15 years into my career, I am still learning what it means to be a good boss and the importance of adapting to different personality types. 

In the end I probably ended up with more character than my father was hoping for all those years ago, but I am deeply thankful for what I have learned from each and every boss I’ve had along the way.