We all want happy-go-lucky, nice and jolly bosses. No one wants to work for a snob. More often than not employees quit because of the ineffectiveness of the leaders at an organization. It is especially when it comes to leadership skills that you look up to your boss and take him/her as an example.
If you are not happy with how your boss treats you or the professionalism of your boss, you are most likely to look for other jobs. As per a survey, this happens to be the second most possible reason of switching a position.
Believe it or not – tough bosses, unlike horrible bosses are not always the villains. In fact, they could very much be the heroes in your story. They could take your career path to a whole new level by giving you a tough time and making you step out of that comfort zone.
I assure you, that as you move forward to the end of this article – you will be convinced that working for a tough boss, isn’t half as bad as you’d thought it’d be. So let’s begin:
1. Be The Best Of Yourself
Tough bosses require certain decorum. Whether it is asking for perfection in work or demanding absolute adherence to the guidelines – bosses who are tough will mold you into a perfect candidate of your desired position. You will be asked to change tactics, be challenged every now and then.
They will make you test your boundaries and challenge you to gain more perspective that you might have not even imagined yourself. Often times, we ourselves don’t know what we are capable of, hence, our mentors always know how to push our ideas and efforts into getting maximum creativity and outcome.
Tough bosses require perfection and that will give you a certain idea of what you can achieve in less time than you thought. If you could complete a project in 2 days because your boss demanded it in that respective deadline, you know now it is your skill that you can achieve greatness in 2 days for which in the past you might have taken a week to complete. They require you to be the best version of yourself that would give you a huge edge in the corporate cutthroat world.
2. Your Mistakes Will Only Make You Stronger
Bosses that require perfection are not so big on tolerating mistakes. They are driven to constantly keep you on your toes and if you mess up, they will be quick to criticize your work and set you straight.
In this rapidly moving world, everyone has a replacement in the corporate sector. That said, you’d have to step up your game and learn from your mistakes because only from learning comes real, tangible growth. It is not easy to impress your boss but if you outgrow your weaknesses and understand the technicalities of the work, learn and get a grip on your work; your tough boss will definitely notice an improvement. Your boss’s behavior may come across as cold and harsh but at least you won’t be making the same mistakes again!
3. An Ally in Disguise
When you need someone who knows how to appreciate your work and can send in a recommendation for you, tough bosses come in handy since they understand and realize how much growth you have achieved over time.
They may not be fun to work with and they may provide you work with tight deadline but they are one of the most reputable, highly skilled and intelligent people, which is why they are as bosses.
They become your ally in disguise because they have observed your limitations, your strengths and how much efforts you put in. They are extremely influential people in the corporate world and can open several work opportunities for you, which will eventually benefit you.
4. It Toughens You
You know how you fall down while playing football and your coach tells you to suck it up and toughen up? Well, this goes on here too where you have to adapt to the circumstances around you and adjust yourself into the role.
Tough bosses will make you work hard for everything. Late sittings, deadlines, pitches and presentations, every single thing will be judged and criticized upon so that it can achieve a level of perfection. Once you have actually gained a level of understanding of what your tough boss expects from you, it will be a huge success for you in your future prospects of career related things.
The tough boss isn’t a selfish or bully boss. There is a huge difference between a boss bullying you and a boss with the intention of correcting you and trying to make you achieve greatness. A bully is not a boss you would ever want to work with so be mindful of which boss you should put your faith in.
Bottom Line…
Even though working for a tough boss could sometimes feel suffocating; hard work and perseverance is what will get you through it. As a matter of fact, this whole process will turn you into an outstanding professional.
Don’t forget:
“A diamond is a chunk of coal that did well under pressure.” – Henry Kissinger
Learn how you can take your leadership teams through a growth model which will help them mature on a personal and professional level by following me on LinkedIn and subscribing to the Keijzer Community.
Paul Keijzer is the CEO and Founder of Engage Consulting and the co-Founder of The Talent Games, which aims to transform HR by digitising talent processes and creating more engaging and productive workplaces through gamification and mobile technology. As a global HR and Leadership Management expert, Paul knows how to combine business insights with people insights to transform organisations and put them on the path to growth.