How you will deal with weak managers who don't want to take any responsibility to sign and approve Employees requests ?

Just having the title “Manager” doesn’t make you a leader. Unfortunately, there are plenty of people in management positions who don’t know how to lead. They drag their teammates down by picking at them over tiny things instead of inspiring them to greater heights.

It’s a sad situation, and if you find yourself working for someone who can’t mentor you to keep learning, you may want to think about getting a different job.

The job market is heating up dramatically. Employers are fighting over talent. At the bottom of this column you’ll find links to articles about how to job-hunt effectively in this new-millennium workplace.

Understand the incompetenceBefore you declare your boss useless, check your bias and better understand what you are seeing. “When you’re looking at your boss, the first thing you need to do before you judge, is look at yourself,”

Ask others for helpLook to peers or people outside the organization for advice and a place to vent. This doesn’t mean indiscriminate moaning about your boss. “You’re not going to help by joining in on the complaining,

Make it about you, not your bossRegardless of your boss’s competence level, you need to work together to get your job done, and presumably advance your career. Managing your boss works best if you frame requests and interactions around your needs. 

Lead upRather than giving up on an ineffectual boss, focus on what you can do to fill in the holes. “It’s the calling of leadership to understand what the office or organization needs, and what the customer deserves and to then help them get it. If you recognize [your boss isn’t] fulfilling the mission of the enterprise, more power to you for stepping up,” says Useem. You don’t have to cover up mistakes but do what’s best for the organization. “Leadership goes up just as often as it goes down,” says Useem. You need to do this without harboring resentment. Do it because you know that it’s necessary for the good of the team.

Think twice before ratting anyone outWhen you’re working for someone who isn’t getting the job done, it can be tempting to go to your boss’s boss or another leader in the organization. First consider the consequences. “Hierarchy is alive and well. And this person has more power than you do.

Take care of yourselfWorking for an incompetent boss can be bad for your health. “There is a lot of research on the negative psychological effects,

Principles to Remember

Do

• Have empathy for your boss and the pressures he may be under.
• Create psychological boundaries around work so that your boss’s incompetence doesn’t negatively impact your health or wellbeing.
• Focus on the broader good of the organization and what you can do to contribute.

Don’t

• Try to point out to your boss all the ways that she is incompetent.
• Go to your boss’s boss unless you are aware of the potential ramifications.
• Stick it out if none of your coping strategies are working — know when you need to leave.