How To Follow Your Boss Even When Things Are Uncertain

Photo: Chandler Chen/Unsplash

“You cannot be a leader, and ask other people to follow you, unless you know how to follow, too.” — Sam Rayburn

Here are two things I know to be true: life is full of uncertainty and no boss is perfect. I work directly for the CEO of our company and during these unprecedented days of uncertainty, I have a choice. I may not get to call all of the shots or control all the outcomes, but I can control if I am willing to trust my boss and if I will commit to following him through these next few months as most of our world turns upside down.

We’ve all been in situations where our boss is leading through uncertain circumstances. For you, it may have been an unpredictable turn in the markets. Others may have experienced following their boss through a shift in clientele or partners. For me, before COVID-19, the greatest time of uncertainly I’ve followed my boss through was when our entire internal organizational structure flipped almost overnight.

As a business professional looking to better their craft, there’s no shortage of articles or research on how to deal with a bad boss or how to manage up and become the leader you always knew you could be. You can find a lot of content on how to get your boss to notice you, how to showcase your hard work and talents, or how to talk to your boss when you’re underperforming.

Each of these skills can be beneficial for your professional development. Of course it is important to be wise and intentional about how you relate to your leader. However, with COVID-19 and this sudden season of uncertainty for many organizations, most businesses and their leaders are wading through difficult and uncharted territory. This challenge has brought to the surface many once-covered realities of what it means to be a great professional. At the top of that list, during these days, is the ability to follow your boss even when things are uncertain.

The opportunity at hand

The art of being a skilled and steadfast follower is not to be associated with weakness. In a culture dominated by an obsession with victory, often at whatever costs necessary, we have denigrated the skill of followership to be synonymous with unable or lacking.

In today's professional environment, it is more common to spend the free hours of one’s evening dreaming up the next coup d’etat rather than thinking through the small but tangible ways of demonstrating faithful followership to those who are doing their best to lead well.

However, this fixation with igniting such mini-revolutions has created a vacuum in leadership, in which, as Sam Rayburn points out above, men and women are declared leaders purely by title and not by their merit. For those who do not learn to follow may never truly learn how to lead.

Following an imperfect leader in the midst of uncertainty can be difficult, but as Albert Einstein said, “in the middle of difficulty lies opportunity.” Here are a few ways you can be a great follower.

Be an encourager

Pessimism is easy. You rarely have to try to be pessimistic, in fact, it is perhaps one of the most common skills of all humanity. This is even more so the case during uncertain times. It’s no secret that the upcoming generations of professionals are more anxious and stressed than ever before. Your boss is not exempt from these points of tension. A great follower would be empathetic to this reality and would seek to counter the potential of pessimism by seeking to actively encourage not only their boss but the team members around them as well.

You may not be able to change the circumstance, but here’s what you can commit to: provide hope. Speak positively about the days ahead. Be generous and listen well. Kindness costs you nothing. Be specific with your encouragement. It’s not just praising someone’s performance. It’s pointing out the small things that you notice, the areas of improvement, or the effort that is given towards leading through uncertainty.

Become a problem solver

In times of uncertainty, questions can quickly become the most consistent form of communication. How do we move forward? What do I do with that email? Who do you want me to pass that on to? The list could go on and on.

Many professionals like asking questions because it shifts the weight of responsibility for solving the problems at hand from the person asking to the person answering the question. In times of uncertainty, this bad habit is exacerbated. Instead of bombarding your boss with dozens of questions he or she likely knows are looming, use periods of uncertainty to hone your ability to become a problem solver.

Professionals who are really great problem solvers are objective, focused, and cast aside their ego in light of the bigger picture. Your boss will hardly ever blame you for taking honest and humble initiative.

Communicate clearly

Uncertain times are made foggier by poor communication. In fact, bad communication can derail a team, significantly slowing down the process of working together toward a solution.

Being a great follower involves communicating both clearly and consistently. If you sit back and wait for your boss to always communicate with you, you may be stuck in a pattern of waiting and hurried responding. Aim to communicate appropriately ahead of schedule. If you can alleviate the need for one more tension point for your boss, you are headed in the right direction.

Consistent communication becomes even more necessary when in a crisis. COVID-19 has forced many businesses into near-disaster level responses and has created gaping holes of uncertainty and concern. You can follow your boss well during these days by working to strengthen your communication.

Stay healthy

Many people around the world are currently finding their daily work rhythms at best interrupted or at worst, completely altered or non-existent. During such days, uncertainty and worry are extremely high. With all of the workplace changes, productivity is at risk of plummeting and stress levels seem to be rising by the hour. The CDC reports that this is normal for the times we are in and on their website, they dedicate a lot of effort towards encouraging people to take care of themselves.

Following your boss during uncertain times encompasses both professional and personal behaviors. Mental health is incredibly important and if you aren’t taking care of yourself, how do you ever expect to be able to be a fully-functioning and contributing team member at your workplace.

In these days and weeks, make space to practice those activities that refill and refuel you. You can’t experience restoration without resting and being healthy will set you up in every way to be the best possible professional you can be.

Be the person you’ll want on your team in 10 years

Working to be a great follower now doesn't ensure that you will be a follower forever. In fact, it’s quite the opposite. The greatest leaders are those who knew and learned what it truly meant to follow well. If you are a great follower today, I have a strong feeling that you will become a future leader in the years ahead. If that is the case, then one of the greatest ways you can spend your time today is working to become the kind of follower that you would cherish on the team your leading 10 years from now.

Be the person you will want to hire. Grow into the person you will want to celebrate. Start today, even if things are uncertain, especially if things are uncertain. You can play a big role in supporting your boss through this global pandemic.