What to Do if Your New Boss Is a Loser

 

For obvious reasons, none of the names or specific facts in this story are true, because I'm focusing today on that horrible, sinking feeling when your brand new boss appears to be dumber and less talented than you.

Take J.W, for example, who has been working in sales for eight years. His new sales manager has never worked in sales, never been on a sales call, and knows next to nothing about the sophisticated telecommunications equipment they sell.

Then there's A.P, who just sat through her first "management" meeting with her new manager. Most of the time he quoted comic books, and he needed help to add the numbers 12 and 10.

Why me?

When management appoints a complete dolt as your new boss, it is natural to have two thoughts:

1.) They must think I'm a loser, too, if they put this person in place to manage me.

2.) I'm quitting.

Neither instinct is necessarily correct. If you have a long and vibrant career, you will have to endure at least a few horrible bosses. Being successful doesn't mean doing well when everything goes your way; it means doing well even when things don't go your way.

If you like your employer, don't quit just because your boss has an IQ of 54 or an ego the size of London.

In my experience, time heals most problems... as long as you carry yourself in a professional manner during the healing process. After a year or two, people realize who has talent, and who doesn't.

Bear in mind that having a void above you creates a wonderful opportunity for you to fill that void.

Think of the date your new boss started as the beginning of a race. You are now racing to acquire the skills and supporters necessary to fill the job above you, once everyone else realizes what you already know: my new boss is a joke.

Is this cruel?

Is it overly harsh to call another person a "dolt" or a "joke"? Perhaps. But we don't work simply for the love of working; we work to support our families, to pursue our dreams, and to use our personal strengths. It can be extremely disorienting to have a person named as your "superior" when that person obviously is not your superior.

But don't panic or lose your cool. Just remember: voids always get filled. This is the time for patience and wisdom, not rash moves.