Effectively developing leadership skills is becoming a problem in the corporate world. Unfortunately, in a 2014 survey from Deloitte University Press, while 86 percent of executives ranked leadership as their highest priority issue, only 13 percent of executives in the same survey rated themselves as excellent in providing leadership programs. This means that the majority of organizations are fully aware that they aren’t proactively developing great leaders. And part of great leadership is motivation, drive and enthusiasm.
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This causes problems across the organization at all levels. A large part of leadership is not just an ability to motivate your employees or team, but an ability to motivate yourself. If your organization is not developing your boss as a leader and challenging them, they can become unmotivated. If your boss has simply gotten into a rut in their career, or is coasting through their role and no one is calling them out on it, they can become complacent. Whatever the reason your boss becomes unmotivated, this can present a huge challenge for you as an employee. For example, you may not receive the attention and motivation that you need to thrive in your role. You may not be presented with regular challenges and opportunities to develop your skills. And the impact of their disenchantment or apathy can be felt across your team, leading to lackluster performance.
Although this can pose a challenge and it may seem like there’s little you can do, here are a few things to keep in mind and steps you can take.
First, if you work on a team, you probably aren’t the only one who has noticed your boss is unmotivated. Have you already complained to your workmates about the situation? Instead of only complaining to each other, try to decide how you can motivate your boss. If you can, try to determine why she is unmotivated. Is it a passing phase or a permanent condition? There are several factors that could make your boss feel unmotivated, here are three possibilities to start with.
She isn’t challenged by her work.
If your boss is not challenged by her work, try to create opportunities for her to provide input and guidance. For example, seek her out more frequently when you have an issue with a customer or a product. Ask her if she has any new ideas she would like you to try in a certain situation. Your boss may not immediately rise to the occasion, so don’t give up. Send her interesting articles about other companies or different processes and ask her if implementing something similar would be possible for your department. This not only provides an opportunity for your boss to feel challenged, but also can be a great opportunity for your team to try something new and for you to shine as an employee.
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Her superiors don’t like or are not open to her ideas and she cannot see the fruits of her labor.
If your boss’s superiors don’t like her ideas, make sure to commend your boss whenever appropriate. If you like the way she handled a meeting, let her know. If you appreciated her feedback, let her know. Be specific, don’t generalize. There is a difference between “Great meeting, boss!” and “I really appreciated that you formatted the meeting to include time for us to express our thoughts.” When your boss knows that you and others under her appreciate what she does, that makes her feel more confident and may light that fire under her to move her forward. These ideas are things you should do regardless of how motivated your superior is to let them know when their performance and actions are positively impacting your team and organization.
She doesn’t have enough to do.
This is the least likely possibility for lack of motivation, but it can happen. If your boss doesn’t have enough to do, consider if and how you can generate more work for her. Involve her more often in the processes of tasks and projects. Not petty, unimportant tasks but big-picture strategy and idea generation. Include her in the natural development process of a project. If you usually send her a completed project, try sending a few draft options of your project asking for input along the way if appropriate.
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Keep in mind, however, that your boss’s motivation and inherent drive, or lack of it, isn’t your problem to solve. However, because their being unmotivated or lazy can directly impact your performance and enthusiasm, it is worth trying to uncover what is going on and if you may be able to have a positive impact. If your relationship is strong and positive enough to have a frank conversation with your boss about their motivation, ask them what’s going on. If it’s purely laziness or something related to that, realize there is only so much you can do. In some instances it may be better to refer the problems to your human resources team. However, taking the steps above will help you stand out as an employee and benefit you in the long run regardless of whether it pushes them forward.
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How to Light a Fire Under Your Lazy Boss originally appeared on usnews.com
