One of the worst things you can do as a leader is to complain to your boss about a problem. I didn’t say you couldn’t or shouldn’t discuss your problems with your boss. You definitely should do that. But you never go griping about the things that challenge or upset you. You must stop complaining.
Why? Isn’t a little gripe session good for the soul every now and then?
The answer is simple – No! In fact, griping creates more problems than it solves. He are a few that come to mind.
- It weakens you in the eyes of your boss
- It makes you a burden to your boss when you should be a benefit
- It trains you to be dependent on your boss instead of self-reliant making you truly weak
- It undermines your self-esteem
In one sense, complaining about our problems is like saying to our bosses, “I can’t handle this, I’m done trying, you fix it.” Bosses expect this behavior from the rank and file but not from the ones entrusted with leadership responsibilities. They expect the average employee to shift the monkey onto their shoulders. When you do it, they resent it. Your job is to take monkeys off their back not to put more on.
Leaders don’t complain about problems, they work to solve them. So, stop complaining and start solving.