Frustrated by your boss? How curiosity can cure it

Frustrated by your boss? How curiosity can cure it | Managers won't trust you if you throw them under the bus | Focus on these 5 areas to grow leadership skills Created for {EMAIL} | [{NAME}]( at [{NAME}]( [For more relevant content - Update Your Profile]( | [Web Version]( January 24, 2023 CONNECT WITH SMARTBRIEF  [LinkedIn]( [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [SmartBrief on Leadership]( Innovative Ideas. Ahead of the Curve. [SIGN UP]( ⋅ [SHARE](  [] Leading the Way [] [Frustrated by your boss? How curiosity can cure it]( [Frustrated by your boss? How curiosity can cure it]( (Martin Barraud/Getty Images) Working for a frustrating boss early in his career taught Steve Keating that reacting by being a lousy team member won't improve the boss, but seeking instead to fill in the gaps with your own skills can improve everyone's experience. Being frustrated, Keating writes, "is a choice," and he recommends working to understand those who frustrate you through curiosity instead of choosing to criticize them or complain. Put it into practice: If you have a frustrating boss, look for their strengths instead of concentrating on their weaknesses, Keating recommends. Then, double your efforts to fill in the gaps with the skills you have to become even more of an asset to your company. Full Story: [LeadToday]( (1/23) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( [] [Managers won't trust you if you throw them under the bus]( Not backing up decisions of your direct reports or abandoning them when they need your support destroys trust, sows confusion and could lead to good managers finding a new job, writes Kate Nasser. "Managers who trust that their leader is authentic focus on results instead of looking over their shoulders to see if the leader is retreating," Nasser writes. Put it into practice: Do a self-assessment of your leadership style and identify your areas of weakness. Do you avoid conflict? Are you slacking off in communicating with your direct reports? If so, double down on being open and accountable. Full Story: [Kate Nasser]( (1/22) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( [] SmartBrief on Leadership [] [Focus on these 5 areas to grow leadership skills]( [Focus on these 5 areas to grow leadership skills]( (Unsplash) Leaders need to dedicate themselves to nurturing five areas of their capability including their responsibility to shareholders, creating a sense of purpose for their employees and pursing their own personal growth, writes Alaina Love. "As you navigate the personal growth leadership capability, be sure to confer with trusted individuals in your professional and personal circles," Love writes. Put it into practice: Create a system to track all five areas, and measure your progress against your intentions to hold yourself accountable, Love recommends. Full Story: [SmartBrief/Leadership]( (1/23) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( [] [Read more]( from Alaina Love on SmartBrief on Leadership [] Smarter Communication [] [Questions to help silent team members to speak up]( Get as many members of your team as possible to give their input in meetings or other settings by calling on them if they haven't spoken up in awhile, allowing them to finish their thought if they were interrupted and noticing who's missing and soliciting their ideas before moving forward, writes David Dye. "More often, people are absorbed in their usual way of doing things and didn't think about who else would have a meaningful perspective on the decision," Dye writes. Put it into practice: Review some of the questions Dye offers and use them at the next meeting or brainstorming session. If the same people stay silent time after time, it may warrant a private meeting to uncover any deeper issues. Full Story: [Let's Grow Leaders]( (1/23) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( Free eBooks and Resources Free eBooks and resources brought to you by our sponsors - [Quick Reference Guide – Microsoft Excel 2021 Advanced Guide]( - [The Ultimate Guide to Developing Self-Discipline]( - [Public Speaking at Work]( - [Tips & Tricks Guide – Career Planning – Why It's Essential for Your Success]( [] Smarter Strategy [] - [3 ways to avoid getting mired in "change quicksand"]( NOBL Academy (1/23) [] - [Transparency, communication can ease employee fears during turbulence]( Entrepreneur (1/23) [] - [How to manage risk and remain dedicated to net-zero goals]( World Economic Forum (1/17) [] In Their Own Words [] [Why the best leaders rely on decency, and accountability]( It may be true, in many regards, that "nice guys finish last," and David Bodanis, in his book "The Art of Fairness: The Power of Decency in a World Turned Mean," says there's a middle path where leaders live by a rule of decency along with "a good dose of street-smarts" to ensure accountability. "[I]t's really useful to be generous ... but you still have to audit your teams just to be sure no timewasters work their way in, eager to 'take' and never give back," Bodanis says. Full Story: [Skip Prichard Leadership Insights]( (1/22) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( [] Daily Diversion [] [Did Santa eat the cookie? A DNA analysis is being done]( A Rhode Island police department has agreed to run a DNA analysis on a partially eaten carrot and cookie to identify whether Santa Claus and his reindeer actually ate the treats on Christmas Eve. "This young lady obviously has a keen sense for truth and the investigative process and did a tremendous job packaging her evidence for submission," said Cumberland's police chief, Matthew Benson, who promises to release results. Full Story: [National Public Radio]( (1/22) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( [] About The Editor [] Candace Chellew Candace Chellew Candace Chellew Steve Keating has [some valuable advice]( today on how to deal with a boss that frustrates you. I've had some of those kinds of bosses in the past, especially the ones that thrive on micromanaging their team members. I wish I had known Steve's wisdom back then on how to change my view of these managers to appreciate their strengths and seek to fill in their areas of weakness with my own skills. Most often, I did what most of us do -- I left that boss, even when I enjoyed working for the company itself. How do you handle frustrating bosses? [Share your strategies](mailto:candace.chellew@futurenet.com)! If this newsletter helps you, please tell your colleagues, friends or anyone who can benefit. Forward them this email, or [send this link](. What topics do you see in your daily work that I should know about? Do you have praise? Criticism? [Drop me a note](mailto:candace.chellew@futurenet.com). And don't forget to send me photos of your pets, your office and where you spend your time off. [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( Sharing SmartBrief on Leadership with your network keeps the quality of content high and these newsletters free. Help Spread the Word [SHARE]( Or copy and share your personalized link: smartbrief.com/leadership/?referrerId=japnABMSAp [] [] There is / no reasoning with need. [Claudia Rankine](, poet, writer [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email](   SmartBrief publishes more than 200 free industry newsletters - [Browse our portfolio]( [Sign Up]( | [Update Profile]( | [Advertise with SmartBrief]( [Unsubscribe]( | [Privacy policy]( CONTACT US: [FEEDBACK](mailto:leadership@smartbrief.com) | [ADVERTISE](mailto:lengel@smartbrief.com) SmartBrief, a division of Future US LLC © Full 7th Floor, 130 West 42nd Street, New York, NY, 10036