Bob ... Any advice for us bad bosses out there? I don't tend to think I am one, but I am sure at least one of my staff think so. Sometimes the trick is to work within the rules of the organization, and that can cause angst. In a previous life I had a staff member that went on an intermittent leave of absence -he would call in sick every couple of weeks. Staff wanted me to discipline him on attendance, but I cou Bob …Any advice for us bad bosses out there? I don’t tend to think I am one, but I am sure at least one of my staff think so.Sometimes the trick is to work within the rules of the organization, and that can cause angst. In a previous life I had a staff member that went on an intermittent leave of absence -he would call in sick every couple of weeks. Staff wanted me to discipline him on attendance, but I couldn’t. I myself don’t rant at staff. I babble perhaps and even fume, but it’s almost always a system or process issue. Sometimes the problem is that we bosses didn’t spend the money on training. Or failed to explain not just what to do but why.So maybe some more bad boss stories would help all of us.– Bad, Bad, Leroy Boss Dear Leroy …I’m not sure what advice you’re looking for. If it’s about the staff member who thinks you’re a bad boss … my best advice is this: One of the best measures of who is actually leading an organization is who looks to whom for approval. So I’m going to answer your question with a question: If in fact you are worried about what this staff member thinks, why are you worried?If you’re worried that maybe he or she is right, that’s a good thing. Dig deeper, find out what the issue is, and if you decide it’s a legitimate issue, make whatever changes you think are appropriate. If, on the other hand, you’re worried because you think that if you’re a good boss they’ll all like and approve of you all of the time, think again. If they don’t respect you, that’s a different issue, but not liking you … look, sometimes you have to make decisions that will be unpopular. Your staff won’t like you for making them no matter what you do.So long as they perceive that you’re being fair about and open regarding how you make decisions, and willing to their perspectives a fair and open-minded hearing before you make them, you and they will do fine in the long run.Whatever you do, don’t base your own self-esteem on expressions of approval by your staff. It’s a bad idea because it allows them to lead you. Even worse, it creates a culture of kissing up. That does appeal to some bosses, of course, and there’s a word to describe them. Unfortunately, that word has no place in a business-oriented weblog.– Bob ——– Technology Industry