How to Be Everyone's 'Favourite' Boss (The Anti-Toxic Leadership Guide)

Step 1: Make People Remember You

- Arrive late, leave early, and take long lunches.

- Use your title to intimidate others. Remember, fear is a great motivator.

- Make decisions without input. Who needs collaboration, anyway?

Step 2: Communication is Overrated

- Only communicate through passive-aggressive emails or public shaming.

- Use jargon and buzzwords to sound smart. No one will notice you have no idea what you're talking about.

- Never listen actively. It's a waste of time.

Step 3: Team-Building (Just Kidding)

- Pit team members against each other. It's like The Hunger Games, but with more meetings.

- Take credit for others' work. You're the leader, after all.

- Make unrealistic demands. Who needs work-life balance, anyway?

Just the other day, my friend and I sat on the couch, sipping wine and swapping war stories about our past bosses. We laughed and cringed, recalling the good, the bad, and the downright ugly.

"My boss would chase me for a piece of work for the client, sit on it for a week, and then send it back to me only after I chased him," my friend said, shaking his head. "His specialty was creating an unnecessary sense of urgency."

"Ugh, that's infuriating," I replied. "It's like, you're already stressed about meeting the deadline, and then he adds this extra layer of stress for no reason. That's just not cool."

The conversation prompted me to search for a TED talk on bad leaders, and I came across Hamdi Ulukaya's 'The Anti-CEO Playbook'. The founder of Chobani shared his story of revitalizing a yogurt factory that was due to be closed and the workers retrenched, and how he transformed the company by prioritizing people and the community.

Ulukaya's approach is a model for a new kind of leadership, one that prioritizes:

1. Gratitude: Put employees first, not profits.

2. Community: Help struggling communities; don't just ask for what benefits the company.

3. Responsibility: Businesses must take a stand on social issues.

4. Accountability: CEOs report to consumers, not corporate boards.

I used to think there were only three types of leaders: good, bad, and mediocre. But I learned about the concept of the anti-leader (like an anti-hero), who is willing to challenge the status quo, question assumptions, and seek unconventional solutions. Let's face it, nobody is only one type of boss all the time. Even the best of leaders are fallible and display less-than-ideal traits at times. There are other moments when we veer towards mediocrity and need to be reenergized. Other times, situations require us to be anti-leaders, to shake things up and challenge the norm. The key is to be aware, adjust, and adapt.

Think of this self-awareness as the dashboard on your car. It has alert signs that guide us - warning lights that flicker when we're running low on fuel, or when our tires need attention. Similarly, as leaders, we need to be aware of our own 'dashboard' - our strengths and weaknesses, our biases and blind spots. When we see the 'check engine' light flashing, we take action. We adjust our approach, seek feedback, and work on growing. That's how we become better leaders - not by striving for perfection, but by embracing our unique personalities and being willing to learn and grow. After all, it's the journey that matters, as much as the destination!