Why Having A Weak Leader Is A Blessing In Disguise

We all love to work for strong leaders who act as role models, who help us grow, and who we can admire and even copy. It is a great feeling to work for someone who can help us realize our potential, who can light the fire within us, and who will always have our back.

Some time ago, I wrote an article that focused on how to set a relationship with your manager in such a way that it leads to mutual success. I also talked about some strategies on how to work with abusive managers. But what if your manager is useless? What if you are not getting anything out of them? What if you work for a weak leader?

False sense of being a weak leader

When coaching leaders, I frequently hear concerns from first-time managers about being seen as weak or even a fraud. Since they are new to the role, the job, and the company, they don’t have all the knowledge and skills to perform at the top level. They are afraid to ask questions as that would expose their “ignorance.” They are afraid to ask for help as that would raise questions of “what’s their purpose here.” But none of these things matter.

“Asking questions or asking for help is a sign of strength and confidence, not of weakness.”

Don’t overanalyze how you may be perceived. If you don’t know something, ask the question. If you don’t know how to do something, ask for help. It may raise some questions from the team about how come you don’t know this, but it is still better than pretending that you know everything.

If you ask a question, you expose a lack of knowledge, but you also show humility and willingness to listen to others. Over time you will gain respect from your team. If you don’t ask the question, you will be seen as a useless fake manager, arrogant and insecure person, and you lose respect forever.

What does it mean to be a weak leader?

You can always debate what leadership is and what weak or strong leadership means. In its essence, leadership is about getting results. Weak and inefficient leaders are then those who don’t get results.

Insecurity and unwillingness to show any weakness are hallmarks of a weak leader. Weak leaders are people who are inefficient at their job, who are afraid to have opinions, and who are scared to ask questions and ask for help.

Weak leaders will never push back on their superiors, always agree with whoever they are talking to, and never have your back. Weak leaders often mean well; they are “nice” people who want to be liked but can’t lead. Don’t be like them, but make sure you get the best out of working for them!

Why it doesn’t matter to have a weak leader?

I hear people complaining that their managers don’t do their jobs, motivate the team, or are useless. So what? Motivate yourself. Having a weak manager actually brings tons of opportunities.

It gives you a chance to lead. It gives you a chance to do things your way. It gives you an opportunity to learn new things and even do bits of your manager’s job. It gives you so much freedom to set things up in a way that works for you.

It is, of course, great to have a strong manager you can learn from, but it is equally great to have a weak manager. You get different lessons and opportunities but can still thrive and grow.

“If no one leads you, then it is your responsibility to lead them!”

In How To Practice Personal Leadership I talked about how real leaders own everything around them. They don’t blame others for their misfortunes, but they shape their own destiny.

With this in mind, having a weak manager is not an excuse for not leading and not growing. It just doesn’t matter how good or bad your leader is. When your leader is unable to show you vision, come up with your own. If your leader is unable to lay out a plan, build up your own. If your leader is unable to get you the required resources, get them on your own. If your leader is unable to mentor you, find a mentor somewhere else.

When you work for an inefficient leader, and no one leads you, your task is quite simple – it is your responsibility to lead them!

What are your thoughts on weak and inefficient leadership? How do you recognize weak leaders? Do you believe employees can thrive when working for weak leaders?

Photo: NeuPaddy / Pixabay.com