Do You Suffer from the Big Boss Syndrome?

Many staff quit organisations with Big Boss Syndromes (BBS), which is the ‘I’m always right’ attitude – while the Big Bosses are unaware that they quit precisely because of their huge egos. Due to BBS, staff don’t dare to feedback honestly to their Big Bosses, because they know that they don’t take feedback well. Even for Big Bosses who are erratic, as in being able to take good advice half of the time, they are still seen as not receptive enough. A ‘just-pass’ is not a good pass, and when staff mark such bosses to have failed, and if they have better places to go, they’ll leave. And since the Big Bosses are not receptive to advice, they will never really know what they have lost – the talents they have let slip away.

There is much talk of 360-degree feedback these days, where bosses allow staff to critique them too, instead of just the other way round. Sounds like a solution to cure BBS? Not necessarily. Those seriously inflicted with BBS will never think of implementing 360-degree feedback – because they think they are already good bosses, who don’t require such feedback. Even those semi-inflicted by BBS, who eventually implement 360-degree feedback lack adequate objective maturity to receive feedback well. Knowing the above limitations due to BBS, and despite knowing that true and sincere implementation of 360-degree feedback will improve their organisations, staff do not even dream of asking their Big Bosses to implement it.

Interestingly, any organisation that is ready for real 360-degree feedback is already rather good by default, while those that are not ready are rather lousy. Take for instance, an imaginary organisation that implements a feedback system that is vetted by a department that the other departments don’t trust enough, that rigidly processes only non-anonymous feedback. The very implementation of such a feedback system already spells the immaturity of the organisation and its insincerity in seeking truly open feedback.

Some organisations are able to grow in dynamic ways due to initial random, loose and superficial management by their Big Bosses in their formative years, which allows for creative, constructive and successful staff initiatives. However, such bubbles will tend to reach a bursting point. When the organisations are deemed successful by others, the Big Bosses’ pride swell accordingly and eventually take greater ownership. This is when the trouble begins – with increase in micro-management and pickiness for ‘maintaining’ the organisation and helping it to ‘grow’ – that instead begins to impede newer ‘creative, constructive and successful staff initiatives’ – that made the organisations a hit in the first place.

For any organisation, BBS syndrome is often sustained and reflected by Bosses too, the second in line next to Big Boss. Bosses are also staff, who are also afraid to be frank to Big Bosses. BBS thus spreads downwards to permeate the organisation. Good collective karma for the organisation is when there is a Boss who does not have to fear for loss of his or her ricebowl, who readily speaks his or her mind with good suggestions that are capable of changing the mind of Big Boss. While some wait for this ‘Bodhisattva’ saviour to appear, some simply put their efforts elsewhere to be their own bosses. They might continue working under Big Boss, but their hearts are already elsewhere with their personal side projects that truly fulfill their dreams. In this way, the organisation loses heart day by day.

If you suffer from a Big Boss who exhibits BBS too, you may want to send him or her this article anonymously as a wake-up call for more enlightened management.

Please note that BBS can apply to you too, even if you are not a boss – because you might behave with BBS in how you relate to colleagues, family and friends with great self-righteous ego – who never feedback to you to let you know you have BBS. BBS is thus not just a worldly problem at work, but a potential spiritual problem too.