The only Man with a Job

Let me break this news to you. You don't have a job. As far as your unit is concerned, the only person that has a job is your boss. Your job and that of your colleagues is to assist your boss do his job. You are only a piece of the puzzle. Don’t overestimate your importance, you are just a satellite around your boss. He is the sun and you are just one planet out of so many that receive illumination and heat from him.

This is the ideal scenario and also the reality. As stated earlier you may have discovered that you are more technically competent and more qualified than your boss however, you will more than likely end up in a miserable box or even in the labour market if you break the first law of power-Do not Outshine the Master as stated in Robert Greene’s book, The 48 Laws of Power.

A lot of people have broken this simple yet fundamental law of power and have lived to regret it. I have broken this law on several occasions and I can  assure you that the consequences are grievous and bitter to say the least.

I am still suffering from my earlier mistakes and sometimes wish I could go back in time to undo my mistakes. Let me remind you that your boss is only human and is bound to make mistakes or can be outrightly cruel to you.

Your boss may give you a lot of reasons to disrespect or even go over his head, but don't take the bait. Don’t ever try to steal his spotlight, let him be the top dog every time and shine through your efforts.

A lot of bosses suffer from insecurity and they feel more insecure around super-competent and over qualified achievers and will do anything in their powers to undermine their effort. This is the reason  a lot of talented people do not make it to the promotion list or are even asked to leave the company. It is your duty to make your boss feel special and important and  at ease with you.

As stated earlier, the first law of power have been fully explained by Robert Greene in his book. I will borrow some lines from him and apply them to the corporate world.

1. Do not ever present your ideas (no matter how brilliant) to your boss with an air of superiority or a sense of accomplishment rather go to him seeking his help to fine tune the “sketchy” idea that you have. Intentionally omit some key but obvious points and let him feel you in. Let him believe that you are inspired by him and that you constantly need his guidance and mentorship. Ask for his input and advice even when none is given, this will give him a sense of accomplishment and ownership of the ideation process. Remember a idea no matter how brilliant may never see the light of day without his endorsement.

2. Do not go over his head to present your brilliant idea to your his boss or to top management without his nod of approval. Overtly ambitious employees make this mistake and tend to suffer the consequences later if not all through their career.

More in my soon to be released book-Its Okay to have a Bad Boss.