Some leaders are completely clueless.
They are generally unaware of everything important and compound their ignorance by making bad decisions that you have to execute. If you report to an idiot, organizational life can be a very painful experience.
Deciding to find another team or place to ply your craft is not an unreasonable call. But if you conclude that a move is impractical then you need to make the best of a bad situation. Believe it or not, there are advantages when you report to an idiot leader. You just need to learn how to circumvent their ineffective leadership.
Idiot leaders generally lack the intelligence and experience to do the job. They have a hard time processing complex information and are easily confused by anything not straightforward or black and white. If you let them, they will drive you nuts in the way they go about things.
The secret to surviving them is to use their idiocy to your advantage. The good thing about such leaders is that rarely know what is really going on. Instead of waiting for the next moronic decision, enjoy the freedom to do largely what you want. Do it your way and explain yourself later. The adage, asking for forgiveness and not permission, is a sound operating rule.
Be sure to go out of your way and find out what is important to them. Work hard to make those things happen and to make them look good in the process. More freedom to do what you want is your reward.
When engaging them, appeal to emotion, not logic. To sway their choices and decisions, explain to them how people will feel about matters.
Try not to overwhelm them with information or data they can’t make sense of. Instead, focus their attention on the risks and rewards involved with any decision. This is what they will find most persuasive.
It takes a special set of skills to survive an idiot leader. Idiots don’t have to be terminal. The latitude and autonomy they allow is a small relief to those who have to work with them.
Just remember to bring the crayons.
