Predict The Leadership Weather

We have all walked into meetings expecting a stormy reception because the boss is having a bad day for whatever reason. We have also walked into meetings with skies seemingly set fair, only to be hit by flash floods of frustration and crashing waves of criticism. 

The key to surviving any natural disaster is preparation. If you are prepared for the tornado, you can hunker down and wait it out. If you are caught out in the open with no safe haven when a storm hits, you are putting yourself at serious risk.

With the greatest respect to the devastation that natural disasters can wreck on people’s lives, comparisons could be made with the emotional “weather” of your boss. Navigating the storms as carefully as possible without putting yourself in danger is vital for the long-term health of your career. You often can’t fight the storm, but there are many ways to come through unscathed. 

So, here are a few humble suggestions for when the boss is in a stormy mood:

Make sure it isn’t you. It is crucial to understand what has provoked the mood, and your first starting point should be to rule yourself out! If you are unaware that you are persistently doing things to rile the boss, you may think that the constant moods are a coincidence, but your days will be numbered. Find a way to solicit feedback and act on any signals of discontent, no matter how subtle. 

Don’t let it affect you. It is easy to take emotional outbursts to heart and let them ruin the rest of the day. This has a knock-on affect on your relationships and will undoubtedly shake your confidence. Sometimes you have to simply put up the palm of your hand, let other people deal with their issues and get on with your own life. Someone else’s (often irrational) moodiness is not your problem. 

Clarify their gripes. If you have no choice but to deal with their mood, there is a useful technique that negotiators and guidance counsellors use to defuse emotions and allows people to consider their feelings. It is sometimes useful to repeat back your boss’ concerns and give them a chance to go into further detail. This shows them that you are listening to them and buys you a little more time to craft a suitable response.

Time your interactions. No one chooses to walk into a war zone. Unless something is critically urgent, maybe it is best to wait until your boss is in a more favorable mood. They are trying to deal with whatever is bothering them, and the last thing they need is another “pull” on their attention. Bosses will value the sensitivity of those who “stay away” – employees without that radar should beware.

Document events. If conflict escalates and things start to get nasty, make sure that you document everything that has been said, save your emails and inform a trusted ally about what is going on. It might get to the stage that you need to involve HR, so don’t let your career suffer because of a psychotic boss.

Have an escape plan. On a more mundane level, think up a few ways of taking yourself away from conflict situations. Maybe you have an urgent client call or an email that simply can’t wait. As long as it is a pressing business reason, you can usually get away and let your boss cool down. If you become a passive sponge for their rage, they will assume that this is acceptable, and these events will happen ever more regularly. Get away from the situation as soon as you can.

Whether a storm has been “predicted” or not, hopefully these simple ideas will ensure that you are suitably sheltered from the worst of it.

Please share your thoughts in the comments section below as I learn just as much from you. I write a daily blog on leadership, innovation, careers, tech & self improvement. Here are some other articles I have written. If you like what you read, please feel free to follow me here on LinkedIn or via twitter @anuragharsh.