Such a boss move Emma. I agree that vagueness is the worst - either be very specific and directive, or empower people to do it their own way. I think the best leaders have both in their toolkit so they can deploy the most appropriate one for the situation.
As always I find your writing on leadership thought provoking and inspiring.
As someone who has more often been an employee than a boss I can say that there benefits to having a decisive boss, even if they are one that decides things you don't like.
The real killer though is having a vague boss. Someone who can't articulate what they want - just knows what they don't want. I suffered through that at one of the worst times of my personal and professional life and it was hell.
Now, as a consultant I often use all of the 'feminine' phrases you talk about above. Partly, probably, because I am a woman and socialised in all the ways you talk about.
But equally, if I have a certain amount of time devoted to a project, I find accepting the blame the fastest and quickest way to get beyond a problem and to a solution. I can then write that solution into any permanent strategic thinking going forward without it ever becoming an internal blame game for the organisation I am working with which would simply gum things. up.
So while I am not the 'leader' in this scenario, I am leading. And in doing so, sucking up the blame to move past it is, if you'll pardon the phrase, a boss move.
Such a boss move Emma. I agree that vagueness is the worst - either be very specific and directive, or empower people to do it their own way. I think the best leaders have both in their toolkit so they can deploy the most appropriate one for the situation.
As always I find your writing on leadership thought provoking and inspiring.
As someone who has more often been an employee than a boss I can say that there benefits to having a decisive boss, even if they are one that decides things you don't like.
The real killer though is having a vague boss. Someone who can't articulate what they want - just knows what they don't want. I suffered through that at one of the worst times of my personal and professional life and it was hell.
Now, as a consultant I often use all of the 'feminine' phrases you talk about above. Partly, probably, because I am a woman and socialised in all the ways you talk about.
But equally, if I have a certain amount of time devoted to a project, I find accepting the blame the fastest and quickest way to get beyond a problem and to a solution. I can then write that solution into any permanent strategic thinking going forward without it ever becoming an internal blame game for the organisation I am working with which would simply gum things. up.
So while I am not the 'leader' in this scenario, I am leading. And in doing so, sucking up the blame to move past it is, if you'll pardon the phrase, a boss move.