Searching for SuperBoss

A rare species indeed. Who are these SuperBosses who make the workplace human again with their super powers?

[Disclaimer: The article below is intended as a commentary on our current corporate culture, and is not aimed at any specific firm or organisation, nor do the explanations or examples refer to any company specifically. In other words, lighten up and don't take any of this personally.]

The corporate landscape can seem a hellish wasteland of never-ending cubicle farms and cage-like meeting rooms, ruled by defiantly selfish warlords, ready to spill rivers of metaphorical blood over every last cent. However, every once in a while, in those sad grey stretches populated by the brain-dead, flies in a superhero who brings order, peace, and humanity.

I met one briefly about eight years ago. People had flown in from all over to spend time with him. You would think he was a saint who was about to cure lepers and order rain from the skies with the shake of a staff — in this case, lepers being the under-performers and extra budget standing in for rain.

But he was no saint. He was SuperBoss. A person blessed with such extraordinary gifts that they could only be described as super powers.

Don’t mistake them for the manager who is the nicest one around. Those sunny uplifting speeches won’t mean much if they can’t lead the team to deliver. Definitely don’t confuse the SuperBoss with someone on the super-charged career track and their own private elevator to the top. That elevator has the capacity of just one. Same for the manager who is dazzlingly brainy. He may be going places but makes for a very tiresome travel companion.

The SuperBoss is therefore not someone who is just inspiring or successful or brilliant. They rise above all those qualities and possess some truly rare abilities that can, seemingly miraculously, restore dignity, integrity, purpose, productivity, and innovation to the workplace. You can identify them by any of these six super powers.

• Shows clarity during a crisis.

In times of crisis, people flock to them instinctively for guidance, for their mind can see through the storm. No matter how grave the crisis, they seem like they know what to do; if they don’t, they still demonstrate a composed demeanour and often even a cool smile. At a time when everyone is panicking, yelling, blaming and trying to kill each other, the SuperBoss has the super power to float above the chaos and figure out what to do next.

• Conducts productive meetings

This is an ability that’s rarer to find than a manager standing upright during a leadership visit. A SuperBoss can achieve what many consider impossible — conduct a meeting that is not a waste of time. Sticks to the agenda, clears through the thicket of data-drenched slides to the useful insights, ruthlessly cuts down on praise for themselves or criticism of others. And most importantly, has the super strength to often, just not call for a meeting.

• Learns from anyone anywhere

The SuperBoss has the ridiculously powerful ability to absorb learning and knowledge from everywhere. They can quote verbatim from the newest hot idea from the Harvard Business Review. They can talk in detail about the latest sensation on Netflix. But they are equally at home sitting with the juniors to learn the new coding shortcut they’ve developed. Or as excited to dine with the ex-classmate who is a blockchain expert. It’s not just that they read a lot, they have the much rarer super power of an open mind.

• Lives a happy life outside office

They are passionate about their work, but understand, with natural ease, that it is not their life. That life is not just the usual cliché of a spouse and two kids whom they meet on weekends and for the stereotypical annual international vacation. Theirs is a life of fascinating hobbies, community service, teaching the kids to ride a bike or how to work out a fight with friends, and grown-up dinners with just the spouse. And because of these perspective-shaping influences, the SuperBoss has the super vision to see their team as people with lives rather than just workers for their promotion.

• Always has some budget

Not sure if it’s witchcraft, but for some magical reason their team always has the budget for the important activities. Maybe they know how to make a compelling case to the ones who control the purse strings, or maybe they’re just really smart at managing finances. Whatever the reason, they ensure that the right and the relevant in their span are never deprived. Even during the harshest of cost-cutting seasons the SuperBoss has the biceps to carry forward the team’s plans.

• Knows which leadership orders to disregard

If there was one just super power that sets apart the SuperBoss from the tens of thousands of same-thinking managers, then this would be it. The SuperBoss has the ability to accurately call out with astounding accuracy the leadership assignment that need not be worried about. In most firms, especially top-heavy ones, there is always a deluge of orders and ideas from semi-bored chieftains sitting above. It takes a SuperBoss to read the chieftain’s mind and decide which orders can be ignored or at least “de-prioritised”.

Would you know anyone possessing all or most of these qualities?

Or better still, would you like to be SuperBoss? They are not like Superman; they weren’t born with special abilities. Nor are they like Spiderman who became that by accident. This is more of a Batman scenario where an average man, through sheer dint of personal resolve, built incredible skills and became a true superhero.

I hope the above piece provides some guidelines for earning your cape. Once you do, let me know. I’ll send you my resume.

Until then stay cool, and keep building a better life.

Some of my other articles you may like too:

How to Spot a Mediocre Manager - https://www.dhirubhai.net/pulse/how-spot-mediocre-manager-arif-mansuri/

Dealing with Problem Subordinates - https://www.dhirubhai.net/pulse/dealing-problem-subordinates-different-approach-arif-mansuri/

Why Bad Bosses are better than Good ones - https://www.dhirubhai.net/pulse/why-bad-bosses-better-than-good-ones-arif-mansuri/

What is the Best Age to Retire? - https://www.dhirubhai.net/pulse/what-best-age-retire-arif-mansuri/

Arif Mansuri writes, coaches, facilitates and does whatever executives in MNCs do.

 For more of his work, served in smaller dosages, also follow him on twitter @ArifMansuri006.