How you follow a bad leader says more about your character than theirs.

Leading well under an unpopular leader requires you to focus on what you can control: your Courage, Humility, Integrity, Selflessness, Duty, and Positivity. You may not be able to change the leader above you, but you can choose whether your response strengthens or weakens your own character. How you follow a bad leader often says more about you than it says about them. 

What People Say About Unpopular Leaders

“He got promoted because he scored well on the test.  But nobody trusts him.  I don’t!”  

“He got promoted because he is tight with the Chief.”

“She has become a micromanager and nobody likes working for her.”

“He’s an a____.  And he only cares about looking good to the command staff.”

These statements are not uncommon to hear in law enforcement or fire services leadership training.  Heck!  I heard similar things in the business world.  Sometimes we will be led by an unpopular leader.  You may question their motives, competence, or character.  But in the end, how do you handle that situation?  This is a character test that everyone faces at some point.

How Unpopular Leaders Challenge Our Character

Unfortunately, some people, while focusing on the shortcomings of the leader, make choices that expose their own character issues. Some people will use that unpopular leader as an excuse to suck up or stay silent.  Some will cut corners or use the leader as an excuse.  Some will complain and give up. There is a difference between a leader who is unpopular because they make difficult decisions and a leader of questionable character and/or is asking people to violate policy, ethics, safety, or the law. Character requires patience with the first and action with the second. 

How you follow a bad leader says more about who you are, not who they are.

You always have choices that you can control no matter what your circumstances may be or who you are called to follow.  Those choices are often a reflection of the Six Habits of Character:  Courage, Humility, Integrity, Selflessness, Duty, and Positivity. 

Tips for Exercising Character While Leading Under an Unpopular Leader

Courage:  Acting despite perceived or actual risk.

Are you willing to step away from self-preservation and try to make change happen?  Will you try more than once? Sure, you can protect yourself and stay silent.  But, speaking up on behalf of the team or for yourself is an exercise of Courage when you have an unpopular boss. If your motives are pure, you are exercising Courage in these moments and developing the Courage to lead well in other circumstances.

Humility: Believing and acting like “it’s not about me.”   

When the leader above you makes a decision or does something that negatively affects the team, you can choose to say nothing or be the person to step up and speak up.  You have an opportunity to make things better.  Some people decide to protect themselves. Instead, work to understand the “why” behind the decision.  Say to your leader, “Help me understand the background behind the decision.  If I understand it better, I may be able to help the team understand it.”  

Integrity:  Doing what is good, right and proper, even at personal cost. 

If you are faced with a leader who belittles employees, lies to their leaders, or tells others to cut corners, this is not only an issue for their Integrity, but yours also.  Somebody needs to say something and try to change the direction of the team.  This should start with a private conversation with the leader.  If they do not make changes, then it is time to take it to another level, even if that might make your life harder for a while.  Integrity is not a part-time thing.  In fact, integer, the root word for Integrity, means whole or pure.  In other words, if we only exercise Integrity when it is easy, that is not Integrity.

Selflessness: Putting the needs of others before my own needs, desires or convenience.

Sometimes somebody has to step into the breach on behalf of the team and speak truth to that leader.  Courage is a critical part of being selfless. You may make the leader angry. You may suffer some consequences if that leader is truly of low character.  On the other hand,  you may be the only person with the intestinal fortitude to tell that leader about their blind spots.  I have found that some leaders have never had anyone truly be honest with them.  When you exercise Selflessness in leadership, the results may surprise you. 

Duty:  Taking actions based on our assigned tasks and our moral obligations.

Our moral obligations do not change when we have an unpopular leader above us.  Our moral obligations will always include being the best team member possible, doing what we ought to do, working to focus the team on what they can control versus the leader they can’t, and exercising Positivity in difficult circumstances.

Positivity: Displaying a positive and/or “Can do” attitude in all circumstances.

Even when you have an unpopular leader, you have a choice.  You can choose to join the “Negative Nancy’s” and mud sling at the boss. Or you can choose something different.  What if you were the person who refocused others? What if you were the one to bring a different perspective to the situation? What if you led by example and “Embraced the Suck!”?  That is what Leaders of Character choose to do.  They lift the team up in bad circumstances; they don’t help hold it down.

Practical Steps for Leading Under an Unpopular Leader

• First, have a private, respectful conversation with that leader.
• Ask clarifying questions before assuming motives.
• Refuse to join gossip or character attacks.
• Focus the team on what they can control.
• Document serious integrity or safety concerns when appropriate.
• Escalate issues through the proper chain of command when the behavior harms people, ethics, or mission.
• Keep exercising your Duty even when leadership is frustrating.

Choose To Lead With Character Even If Your Boss Isn’t

Unpopular leaders will come and go in your career.  You have choices each day no matter what leader you are called to follow.  The question is, What choices will you make?  Will you choose your character or circumstances?  Your answer to those questions will display your own character when leading. Not sure which habit you need to exercise most right now? Take the Character Assessment and identify where to focus your next step. 

Question:

• What choices will you make when you have an unpopular leader?
• How could that positively affect the people around you?

If this challenged you, share it with someone who is trying to lead well in a difficult season. Then ask yourself: Which habit of character do I need to exercise most this week?