Some Really Bad News for Jerk Bosses

The reign of the jerk boss is over. That’s great news…unless of course, you ARE a jerk boss, or you have a jerk boss. If you are a jerk boss, you might be wondering, what’s next for you? Of course, it’s highly unlikely that many jerk bosses are reading this…because one reason they are a jerk boss is they think they know it all and see no need to invest in personal or professional development.Now, for those of you that have a jerk boss, that’s another story. You might even be thinking me a Pollyanna for suggesting their reign has ended because your boss has exhibited jerkiness in the last hour.  And oh, how you are ready for them to be deposed, dethroned, and exiled.That day is coming. Not fast enough for you right now if you still have a jerk boss. But it’s arriving sooner than you may think.Let me explain.The reign of the jerk boss may not be completely over yet, at least not everywhere. But it has already ended in most progressive companies and is fading rapidly in many others, as corporations and their leaders enter a new age of enlightenment.Not that long ago companies identified themselves in one of two categories. They were either Business-to-Business (B2B) or Business-to-Consumer (B2C) or both B2B and B2C. The enlightenment that has spread like wildfire is the realization that employees are people, real people and must be treated with dignity and respect. One result is the humanization of work and workplaces.The realization is, every business, whether they once classified themselves as B2B or B2C, is actually an H2H or P2P enterprise. That is, they are human-to-human or people-to-people entities.[clickToTweet tweet="Corporations and businesses do not establish and maintain #relationships, people within them do." quote="Corporations and businesses do not establish and maintain relationships, people within them do." theme="style5"]As with most revolutions, the speed of adoption varies. Fortunately, we’ve moved beyond the early adopters and are seeing the humanization of work become mainstream with increased acceptance among both early majority and late majority companies.Laggard organizations remain. They still welcome jerk bosses and allow them to berate and belittle employees. But let’s hope those laggards soon join the revolution or go the way of the rotary dial telephone and 8-track tapes.Now, we celebrate leaders who are creating vibrant cultures and healthy workplaces where people pursue purpose, thrive and grow as individuals, and preserve the planet for future generations — all while making a reasonable profit.New skill sets are needed to thrive in the H2H age. Chief among them is authenticity; so much so that Harvard Business Review declared, “Authenticity has become the gold standard for leadership” (Jan-Feb 2015 edition).

Assessing Authenticity 

Who races to the front of the line in your mind when you are asked to identify a leader you admire for their authenticity?I’ve got two hunches about your attraction to that person and your admiration for them as an authentic leader.First, you experienced them as a harmonious leader. By that I mean, what you saw and heard from them externally was in harmony with who they were internally. They were congruent.Second, you resonated with them as a leader. Something inside of you reverberated (moved to the same frequency) with what you experienced in and through them. You identified with them and were drawn in to enjoy more of what they had to offer through their leadership in the same way the sound of live music compels you to find its source and linger as you listen.These leaders are authentic and their authenticity resonated with you forming a connection and a bond between you and them.The authenticity test is the degree to which a leader’s words and actions are in harmony with who they are as a leader (the person, not the position).When the inner self and outward expression are on the same frequency, there is HARMONY — authenticity for that leader. When what you see, hear, and experience of a leader resonates with something inside you — there is RESONANCE — you are in sync with them and most likely are eager to follow because of that powerful combination of harmony and resonance.[clickToTweet tweet="#Authentic leaders are rapidly displacing and replacing jerk bosses. Hallelujah! " quote="Authentic leaders are rapidly displacing and replacing jerk bosses. Hallelujah! " theme="style5"]

Amping Up Your Authenticity

How do you amp up your authenticity? I love that question. Here are two ways to help:

1. Join the Authentic Leadership Summit. It’s going on now, and you can catch the remaining sessions including mine that airs this Friday, April 14. Here’s where you can join in for free.

2. Download your free copy of Discovering Your Authentic Leadership. A new tool I developed expanding what you’ve read here along with a worksheet to help you get in touch with your authentic self.

Oh, if you happen to have a jerk boss or your company still provides a safe harbor for jerk bosses, it might be time to move on and join a company that values their people too much to tolerate jerk bosses. Life is too short to work for a jerk boss.If you are a leader, join the Authentic Leader Revolution. I bet you already have.