top of page
  • Writer's pictureJaclyn T. Badeau

Is there anything an employee can do when faced with a boss who is a dictator?

Updated: Aug 27, 2020

Let’s think about it…


This is a question I have often been asked and I have some tips to address... But first, let’s explore the EQ side of this. What leadership skill is a boss who acts as a dictator (or despot) lacking? Answer = Emotional Self-Awareness (the last skill in the Self-Perception area of the emotional intelligence tool, EQi-2.0) for one. I bet this type of boss lacks many other EQ leadership skills as well, but we’ll focus here.


According to the EQ Edge book, “emotional self-awareness is the ability to recognize your feelings, differentiate between them, know why you are feeling these feelings, and recognize the impact your feelings have on others around you.” Basically, it’s important that you know yourself - “what you don’t recognize, you can’t manage. If you aren’t aware of what you’re doing, why you’re doing it, and the way it’s affecting others, you can’t change.”


So often “everyone in the office seems to realize what was going on except the one person who most needed to know – the boss”; obviously, this boss is lacking self-awareness. There are several strategies to follow in order to address this with him/her and in many circumstances, these can prove successful. However, if you are one of those unfortunate people who has a boss that clearly lacks the desire to change or improve, then you may have to make a choice: tolerate it, look elsewhere for a job, or consider speaking with his/her superior.

To learn more about how to address a boss who is lacking self-awareness and/or to learn more about developing your Emotional Self-Awareness skills, please reach out to chat.



15 views0 comments

Recent Posts

See All
bottom of page