A lot of times, workers can complain about their bosses, the way they lead and the decisions that they make. Managers, supervisors and directors can be on the receiving end of a heavy load of criticism, gossip and complaint.
The marketplace is full of ineffective and self-centred leaders, but it's also full of really good ones. Sadly, both kinds get just the same amount of scrutiny. Sometimes the good leaders are even scrutinized more intensely compared to bad ones because of the righteous yet unpopular choices they are forced to make.
Solomon was a great example of a boss who struggled immensely with the weight of leadership. He shares in Ecclesiastes 2:18-19, "I hated all my toil in which I toil under the sun, seeing that I must leave it to the man who will come after me, and who knows whether he will be wise or a fool? Yet he will be master of all for which I toiled and used my wisdom under the sun. This also is vanity."
Here are five struggles that I have now embraced which I wish I knew a long time ago, before I became a boss myself.
The top can be very lonely
Leadership can often feel like you have no one by your side. I am grateful that I now have a wonderful team made up of people who aren't just my employees, but are also my partners, but it wasn't always this way. Many times, it really felt like it was me against the world. Many leaders I have talked to have admitted to this, and it's a reality that many bosses today face.
Gossip can be really hurtful
When employees look up to a title, they can sometimes forget that there is a person behind that position, and a person with feelings at that. Bosses can be the receiving end of a heap of gossip and it can be a heavy weight to carry.
They don't know what to do
Many bosses may sometimes make it seem like they know everything, but truth is that they don't. A lot of the decisions leaders make are those that are done out of trial and error because it is something new to them. A boss won't admit this, but we all know that no one knows everything.
They struggle with trying to please everyone
Stockholders, church deacons, customers, employees, the press and various other groups all exist on the plate of a boss. The goal is to make as many people happy, but no matter how hard they try, not everyone walks out of a meeting satisfied.
Leadership can be heavy
The leadership mantle is a heavy one that cannot be carried alone. That's why God places heavy emphasis on building others around you who will carry the vision with you. Bosses need their employees more than they will admit.
