Steve Arneson is a nationally recognized speaker, executive coach, and leadership consultant. He founded Arneson Leadership Consulting in 2007 to provide practical solutions for individuals and companies looking to enhance their leadership impact. Prior to that, Steve served as the head of leadership development and talent management at divisions of PepsiCo and Yum Brands, and later at AOL, Time Warner Cable, and Capital One.
In part 2 of my series on boss-employee relationships, I caught up with Steve to ask him a few questions about his new book, What Your Boss Really Wants from You, and to get his take on this special relationship.
Which of your own bosses had the greatest influence on you as a leader and coach?
I’ve had many influential bosses, among them Steve Wonder at Aon Consulting, Joe Bosch at Yum Brands, and Tom Mathews at Time Warner Cable. Having a great boss gives you a road map to follow in terms of how you want to lead and coach your people, and each of these bosses encouraged and challenged me to continue developing myself. They all continue to be role models for me.
Which do you think is more instructive: a great boss or a terrible one?
That’s a tough question, because you can learn so much from a bad boss – namely, how not to behave, manage a team, etc. But if I had to pick just one, I’d say a great boss will ultimately teach you more, because they’re taking the time to teach, mentor and coach you. Because they’re invested in you, the lessons simply stick with you longer. You’re also much more likely to stay in touch with a great boss, so the lessons can continue long after you stop working for them.
What are some of the most common things that bosses want from their employees?
Great bosses want five things from you. They expect you to: 1) have a strong work ethic, 2) demonstrate a positive attitude, 3) be a team player, 4) generate innovative ideas, and 5) get outstanding results. In my experience, bad bosses may want a variety of things from you that are totally dependent on their specific motives. They may want you to keep a low profile, do only what they tell you, or work tirelessly to make them look good. That’s really the essence of the book – you have to do your homework about your boss’s motives to truly understand what they want from you.
Which common boss/motivators (from step 3) is most challenging?
I think it’s the insecure boss, for one reason – they’re unpredictable. With the control freak, ego-driven or career-focused boss, you can eventually figure them out and adjust to their style, but the insecure boss’s motives can be harder to identify. The insecure boss can also get good at adapting to their environment, producing just enough results to not get fired. In the meantime, they can drive you crazy with their lack of attention, poor direction, no feedback, and non-supportive style.
In your new book, you write that in your experience, many bosses want less from you, not more. What do you mean?
Many bosses don’t tap into your full potential or let you innovate in ways that would move the team forward. They like things the way they are, and don’t want you rocking the boat. In these cases, they don’t actually want you trying new things or generating new ideas because it means more work for them. I’ve coached several executives who say their boss just wants to “keep them in a box” – in this sense, the boss actually wants less of your brainpower and energy than you’re capable of giving.
‘Leadership brand’ is used a lot in literature and training. What can someone do to build a strong, positive brand given the pressures of today’s workplace?
- First, always tell the truth and do the right thing. Your brand’s foundation is your integrity, trustworthiness, and ethical behavior (get this wrong, and it doesn’t matter what else you do).
- Next, do your job really well – whatever you do, get really good at it and perform at a consistently high level.
- Third, build relationships, as many as you can; you want others to enjoy working with you.
- Fourth, bring an open mind to every interaction… if you’re the adult in the room, others will notice your calming influence.
- Finally, bring a positive attitude to work every day, and be respectful of everyone you meet.
If you do these five things, you will build a strong, positive leadership brand – which is really your single, greatest asset at work.
