Some of us became bosses by accident.
Maybe someone passed away or got critically ill suddenly, and a key position had to be filled up fast. Or maybe your boss was suddenly promoted or sent overseas, and you’re “it.”
Or maybe someone suddenly got married to a chaebol and doesn’t need to work anymore, so you’re suddenly the boss.
When I was 23, someone unknown to me suddenly became my boss because we had a major organizational revamp. Thank goodness he was highly qualified for the position! If not, our whole division would’ve been in shambles.
So. How does one quickly fit into a position that is suddenly thrust upon him/her by circumstances? How does an accidental boss raise his/her probability of success?
From a practical and spiritual point of view, the first thing to do is to go down on your knees and pray for wisdom. If, for any reason, you look down on this suggestion, it will be to your great loss.
Because it’s one of the most magnificent promises in the Bible: “…if any of you needs wisdom, you should ask God for it. He is generous to everyone and will give you wisdom without criticizing you.” (James 1:5)
I find that last phrase very reassuring. How many times have you asked for advice from someone, and got criticized or scolded for it?!! God won’t treat us disdainfully. He promises to give us wisdom IF we ask for it.
After asking for God’s wisdom – and this is best done on a constant basis, not just as the need arises – know what your boss is like. Know what your One Up expects from you, in the exact order of his priorities. This is crucial. Or else you might end up wasting your time and energy on things that aren’t important to your boss. You’ll be putting yourself and your staff in jeopardy.
As much as you can, try to know what kind of a person your boss is. Do your own due diligence. Ask reliable people. Research on his personal background and career history, his track record. His area/s of expertise.
After asking for and listing down your boss’ most crucial expectations from you, get his time frame. Exactly what and when does he want things done? Don’t make promises you cannot keep. This will quickly erode your credibility. Better to be humble and conservative about your promises. Then try to finish things early and efficiently. That’ll surely make a good impression without your having to brag about it.
Many people fail miserably when they brag first, then fail to deliver.
Simultaneous to getting to know your One Up, get to know your one-downs, and the rest of your staff.
The people in your team can make or break you. I think a one-on-one with each of your key staff is imperative. Start getting to know them, and let them get to know you. But please refrain from being chummy-chummy. That confuses people; therefore it hampers professionalism and efficiency.
Tell your staff what your non-negotiables are. Give them an idea of how you reward people, and how you apply the consequences for bad attitudes and bad performance.
I’ve seen through experience that generally, when you tell your staff from the very beginning what really ticks you off, and what the consequences will be, they will avoid upsetting you. This means less mistakes, less conflicts, less confrontations.
Don’t wait for them to do something wrong and then pounce on them because you’re angry or upset. Save each other the aggravation by giving them fair warning. It’s harder to mend broken fences!
Of course it’s also important to meet them by teams, and as a whole division or department. Share what’s most important to you – character-wise and work-wise. If you cannot stand any kind of corruption or immorality or lying, or taking credit for someone else’s work, or sabotaging a colleague or the team, then be upfront about it, without being self-righteous. But be sure you’re not guilty of it yourself. Or else you’ll end up looking like an absolute idiot. And a hypocrite.
You might be surprised how fair warnings like these can remove land mines. How they can make people work within healthy boundaries. As the old saying goes – “To be forewarned is to be forearmed.”
Lastly, if you’re a follower of Christ, there are NO accidents in your life. So, if you’re suddenly “The Boss,” the safest assumption is that God allowed you to be in that position for His purposes.
So just to override all our human preparations, the first thing we must do is to ask Him: “Lord, what do you want me to do for You in this position?” This goes for any position – whether you’re the boss or not.
If we fulfill His purposes, then our rewards will be immeasurable and infinite. Because He’s the Boss of all bosses. The King of kings. Only a fool wouldn’t work for Him.
