Succeeding Under A Difficult Leader, Part 3: A Leader Who Hates Or Dislike You?*

Mike Ihezuo

The scenario of this case study or the subject is a familiar one many leaders face, maybe you have.

Before 2000, I worked in a foremost multi-media outfit into satellite radio, paid TV, local TV, cable network subscription, print and publishing. I had 2 bosses: technical one at HQ and
administrative boss with me at the Transmission Centre [Tx], Anambra State. I was the System Manager (SM), my admin boss was the Head of Broadcast [HOB] while my technical boss was Chief Technology Officer [CTO].

The admin boss who took over from the former HOB after few months hated my face, harassed me, did despise me, cast aspersions on me. He was a retired AGM at the defunct Savana Bank Plc.

Forone day in those days, I did not give a wink and lose my sleep at his despising until I tendered a resignation letter in my volution in which he regretted and pleaded for me to stay back. I moved on.

What could make a leader (SM) under another leader (HOB) who hate him to succeed? At my resolve to go even when HQ, Ikoyi couldn’t stop my resolve [as I put it in my resignation letter], I was giving a send-forth party at TX centre.

The example given here is one of the many leaders’ lot. The fitness by this story is that my admin boss is ok on his own, just that I wasn’t his man or whatever; just hated /disliked me.

*What would help a leader like me?*

I must confess without sentiments that it is pretty tough as a leader to work successfully with your hater placed above you.

Three *fight back* spirits can prevail but that’s wrong and I do not advocate any now. They are:

1. Avoid or hide from the leader. Please don’t run away, avoid or hide from your hater. You will lose relevance as leader. And it will be signaling defeat without you knowing it.

2. Hurt/harm the leader (boss) directly by spoiling his productivity via gossip, slander, backbite or blackmail. On the contrary, appear cooperating and be.

3. Physical assaults or indirectly by spiritual elimination. This is wasteful and bad.

I believe as a leader you can forgive. Choose more honourable highways of honour as long as the person did not attempt killing you first or sacking you disgracefully. Though my boss didn’t like working with me, but;

i. I held my peace, and refused to put the stalemate on my face. Did greet him normally, move documents form my desk to him unbiasedly to sign. Hold my emotion under check, without grudge, after all he’s the boss.

ii. Very focused on company’s policy, my JD [job description] and departmental responsibilities/goals. At the company policy, two of us supposed to meet at common ground. Remember, we met at managers’ meeting weekly.

iii. Display a high level of hard-work, productivity and performance as these are tools to assess a leader low and be attested by colleagues.

iv. Be extremely accountable to resources, time and monies at your disposal to avoid giving room to justifying the hatred.

v. Be pleasant with other colleagues – peer leaders, and avoid pity party or any form of weakness to justify the hatred.

vi. Solve problems, add values, contribute ideas but document them possibly copy other officers – his seniors and peers.

vii. Do more than expected, be outstanding and go the extra mile. This will heap a coal of fire on the hater as people will be imagining why he’s hating this leader under him.

viii. Don’t be confrontational, abusive or passive to him.

ix. Cover your axe at all time.

Leader Mike is a writer, speaker, Consultant and Counselor on  motivational, stress and leadership matters.