Ebenezer Scrooge, Miranda Priestly, J. Jonah Jameson and Mr. Slate. We know them as the dreaded bosses of some of the sweetest characters we have met through the media- A Christmas Carol, The Devil Wears Prada, Spiderman, and The Flintstones respectively.
How many of us can sooner identify with dear Bob Cratchit and bright-eyed Andy Sachs; sweet Peter Parker and silly Fred Flintstone and Barney Rubble- and the countless others who only ask to be treated with a little respect. It seems that many tales of rough bosses or other authority figures abound in history, whether fictionalized or real.
Does having authority mean bossing others around or spending the day forcing tasks onto employees or threatening these employees with termination and so, their dependents with poverty? Is there no way to be the boss, to have deadlines met, to know employees are working productively and to feel successful, without stripping someone else of their self-esteem?
Even in the classroom we see individuals become drunk on authority. Teachers may appoint a leader for an assignment meant to assess collaborative effort, only to have the leader become something of a tyrant. Obsessed with getting the grade, this student forgets that the team is made up of people collecting data, not data itself. So that information is not all that counts; there is a critical human element to the class. They do not grasp that the teacher is looking at group dynamics, examining how students function in their respective roles and, more importantly, how they get along with each other, handling any conflict that arises.
In the media, many of these figures of authority have an explanation for their questionable behavior – some sadness or fear within. However, the way to deal with those negative emotions is not to add other negative emotions or actions, but to find happiness elsewhere. By boosting morale among employees or classmates as the case may be, persons in authority maintain a large degree of respect. The work gets done.
Unlike the case of the classroom, the stakes are higher in the world of business. A poor leader may not lead for long. Those who prove that they can show others respect, can get results without being abusive and gain respect as bosses; praise as leaders.
