Being in the academy and in the learning and development team for most of my professional life, almost all of my managers had a growth mindset and instilled in me the value of always continuing to learn—because the more I learn, the more I realize I do not know everything.
And so, I am shocked with horror stories of know-it-all bosses who railroad meetings and bulldoze everybody to do as they are told, and to quit complaining and just start doing. And while there are organizations that necessitate this kind of management, most organizations will lose people and resources with such leadership. A know-it-all boss puts the creative problem-solving and decision-making skills of their people at risk and endangers the organization into adopting a rigid way of doing things.
I noticed that most of these bosses are products of what is known as the Peter Principle, which states: “In a hierarchy, every employee tends to rise to his level of incompetence.” This was developed by a sociologist and business consultant, Dr. Laurence J. Peter, who published the 1968 book The Peter Principle. The principle elaborates that people are promoted based on their performance on their current level, role, or function more than having the requisite skills for the next position.
This sheds light on why these bosses think they are the best of everyone else. They feel that they have been placed in position because they know more than everybody else below them. They see their team as such that will do their bidding and execute their vision (if they have one at all). They know the ins and outs of their own department but when they are asked to join interdepartmental meetings, they cannot contribute significantly. Or, worse, they think they can still best individuals from other groups and speak condescendingly when asked for their opinion.
The bad thing about having this kind of boss is that it becomes difficult to talk to them during meetings, and it becomes challenging to collaborate with them on a project. Their team also has the tendency to just follow orders and stop thinking for themselves on how to do their work properly. These bosses think that just because they are in position, they can do everyone’s work better. I know of an executive who maligned the work of architects and insisted that their work is easy and proceeded to scribble on a piece of paper the plan she wanted. When these kinds of leaders overreach and think they can do everything, they will soon find themselves alone to do all the work they belittled.
Another danger to having bulldozer know-it-all bosses is the limited perspective of how products and services are used by consumers. I know of a friend who was asked to design a bike lane and she used ramps to make it easier for bikers to get on and off them. Her business counterparts demanded steps instead of ramps and threatened her that it was their boss who insisted that it be steps. A know-it-all boss can do that—make everything about profits instead of looking at the users of their product. It is no surprise their developments have constantly declined over the years.
The worst danger of having these kinds of bosses is the lack of engagement from their team. Since everything comes from the know-it-all boss, people do not think critically and will just follow what their boss wants.
Since the team is not involved in the development of strategy and the identification of targets and how to meet them, the team will also lack the commitment to follow through. Remember, no involvement from the team, no commitment.
There are still some things you can do when you have a know-it-all boss. Managing them will take a lot of skill and patience but it is not impossible. You just need to understand that at the end of the day, they will evaluate you and it is up to you to ensure they see your hard work.
Prepare well for meetings with them or when you need to do a presentation for them. Make sure you have facts and validated research so that it is easier for you to convince them if it comes to that. Nothing irritates a know-it-all manager than someone who is unprepared.
When they present their plan, ask questions to gently probe alternative outcomes. A know-it-all might take offense when their team asks them questions on their own strategy. By posing it as a question, you make it about you trying to understand where they are coming from so you can better support them. Watch out for your tone. Always adopt the tone of someone who genuinely wants to understand how the plan will work.
A good way of putting things in perspective and to get the know-it-all boss to think of a situation differently is to ask “what if” questions. This will nudge your boss to think of alternative solutions given a hypothetical scenario. This puts less pressure on them to know the answers right away and possibly open the discussion to other people’s opinions.
Choose your battles. Do a quick cost-benefit analysis if what you would point out or say could put you in a better position with your manager or harm your professional relationship. This means knowing your manager well and understanding their decision-making process. Knowing how to say something and when to say it is crucial in ensuring your message gets across and received well. If the information is not significant, then let it pass.
There is nothing more disengaging than a boss who only wants to be followed. But if you have this kind of boss, you can still be successful in your organization. But when you become a leader yourself, you need to remember that you have to be supported by the people who work with you because you cannot reach the top alone. Your success is built on the success of every single person under your care. If you do not engage them and trust their abilities, you will find yourself with neither a team nor a place in the organization.