---
title: "Workplace Professionals, You Need to Learn to Manage Your Boss"
description: "Managing your boss? Yes, you read that right. Because your boss is human, not divine, and has shortcomings and character weaknesses, their management cannot be entirely scientific or accurate. Some bosses even have lower management skills than their subordinates, making it difficult for you to advance or retreat. A typical situation is when your boss, lacking in 'resource power, reward and punishment power, information power, expertise power, and personality power,' should adopt a weak management mindset but instead acts oppressively and forcefully."
author: "肖阳"
publisher: "New Distribution"
email: "zhaobo258@gmail.com"
telephone: "+8615854817671"
published: "2016-03-30"
language: "en"
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markdown: "https://xinjignxiao.com/en/articles/workplace-professionals-you-need-to-learn-to-manage-your-boss-d3dbfc42.md"
original_source: "https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/XzTwbAZdc_5nTHF0eW0YAw"
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---

# Workplace Professionals, You Need to Learn to Manage Your Boss

> Managing your boss? Yes, you read that right. Because your boss is human, not divine, and has shortcomings and character weaknesses, their management cannot be entirely scientific or accurate. Some bosses even have lower management skills than their subordinates, making it difficult for you to advance or retreat. A typical situation is when your boss, lacking in 'resource power, reward and punishment power, information power, expertise power, and personality power,' should adopt a weak management mindset but instead acts oppressively and forcefully.

To manage your boss?
Yes, you read that right.
Because your boss is human, not divine, and has shortcomings and character weaknesses, their management cannot be entirely scientific or accurate. Some bosses even have lower management skills than their subordinates, making it difficult for you to advance or retreat.
A typical situation is when your boss, lacking in 'resource power, reward and punishment power, information power, expertise power, and personality power,' should adopt a weak management mindset but instead acts oppressively and forcefully.
For example, if the boss lacks information about the frontline market, missing information power—
Never having visited terminal stores, never having in-depth contact or detailed interviews with distributors, and not knowing the latest moves of competitors, yet always commenting on your decisions, telling you to do promotions this way, build outlets that way, and manage distributors in a certain manner.
On the surface, they say it's all 'personal advice,' but if you dare to ignore it, they'll make you pay soon enough.
Another example: if the boss doesn't understand practical operations, lacking expertise power—
Such a boss either hears about so-called successful experiences from hearsay, or sits in the office and assumes, reasoning by common sense and inference. When the team discusses problems together, they always have preconceived notions and set their own arguments, ignoring all counter-evidence. When pushed to the wall, they slam the table and glare, shifting the topic to criticize your character, saying, 'Your insincere attitude is not a one-day thing!'
There are many other issues, such as 'no reward for merit, punishment without cause,' 'burning bridges and killing the donkey after the job is done,' 'obstructing work and planting spies,' and so on.
These bosses use various leadership and management techniques, but the common feature is their assertiveness. They must constantly prove they have leadership authority. These actions, however, make subordinates feel distressed: why is it that despite their sincerity and loyalty, they cannot earn the boss's full trust and understanding?
In fact, if you put yourself in their shoes, this problem is not difficult to solve.
To make the boss understand us, we must first understand the boss's difficulties and starting points. On one hand, stop complaining; on the other hand, don't always harbor the unrealistic hope of 'finding a better master,' because the boss you encounter will always have some shortcomings.
The solution should come from ourselves.
In front of an assertive boss, we also need the methods and contingency measures of 'weak management.'
We will interpret each principle of 'weak management' of the boss with real historical events, so that those subordinates who often feel aggrieved know that you are not the only one 'in the same boat.'
Situation 1: When there is a disagreement with the boss
During World War II, when German forces attacked the Soviet Union, Marshal Georgy Zhukov, Chief of the General Staff, had a serious disagreement with his superior, Stalin.
Given the enemy's fierce offensive, Zhukov believed that 'making trade-offs, accumulating strength, and counterattacking at the right time' was the only viable approach.
But this contradicted Stalin's idea of 'defending every inch of land.' Militarily, Zhukov was right. But Stalin had political considerations and was unwilling to give up key cities like Kiev.
After arguing to the point where Stalin got angry and said, 'You are talking nonsense!' How did Zhukov respond? He said, 'If you think I, as Chief of the General Staff, only talk nonsense, then I'll leave.'
As a result, Zhukov was dismissed on the spot and sent to the front lines.
Later, although Stalin realized his mistake and reinstated Zhukov, there was always a rift between them. The 'God of War' Zhukov, who made significant contributions in the Great Patriotic War, was marginalized after the war and lived in gloom, partly due to this.
This is a typical case of disagreement.
In enterprises, we find that many marketing managers, when faced with 'laymen leading experts,' often 'prefer to break rather than bend' and 'insist on truth.'
But they often overlook:
1. The boss has a more macro perspective and is responsible for overall interests. A local failure may lead to overall success. In short: what you insist on may not necessarily be right.
2. Even if the boss makes a wrong judgment due to lack of expertise, you cannot overstep and challenge their authority. In short: even if you are right, you cannot damage the subordinate relationship.
Failing to achieve the goal and also failing to protect oneself results from both sides not understanding weak management.
The boss is indeed assertive when they shouldn't be, but the subordinate has a bigger problem: they treat the boss the same way they talk to their subordinates, using assertive management tactics, which is a 'role confusion.'
What should be done? Let's look at another episode of the above story.
After Zhukov lost his position as Chief of the General Staff, Vasilevsky, who was less capable and famous, took over.
He knew the boss was used to assertive management, so he never argued at meetings, but often found opportunities to chat with Stalin, casually discussing military strategy over tea, then leaving without a trace.
A few days later, when Stalin assigned tasks, his wise decisions were always praised by everyone, but no one knew that the key parts of these ideas were Vasilevsky's behind-the-scenes contributions.
After the war, Vasilevsky was highly appreciated, reaching the highest rank and becoming a Marshal.
First rule of 'weak management' of the boss: Use indirect tactics, don't fight the boss with brute force.
Situation 2: When you suffer injustice
Marketing managers often have a belly full of grievances: salespeople are mischievous, logistics departments stand by, distribution channels are in constant conflict, and in such situations, the boss changes their mind frequently, making it hard to adapt.
But compared to Bai Qi, a famous general of the Qin State during the Warring States period, these are nothing.
Bai Qi was one of China's greatest military strategists after Sun Tzu. In his lifetime, he conquered over seventy cities and killed a million enemies. Sima Qian described him as 'anticipating the enemy and adapting, creating endless surprises, and shaking the world.'
Bai Qi's proudest achievement was the Battle of Changping between Qin and Zhao, where he captured and killed Zhao Kuo, who was known for 'paper talk,' and besieged the Zhao capital, Handan. But what happened next is more instructive for managers.
Seeing the capital in danger, Zhao used a trick: they bribed the Qin prime minister Fan Ju with a counter-espionage scheme. So Fan Ju, citing the fatigue of Qin troops and the risk of prolonged war, persuaded the King of Qin to order a retreat.
After Bai Qi returned to the capital, he explained to the king the regret of the near victory, and the king realized his mistake. So he kindly asked Bai Qi to go out again. But at this point, Bai Qi felt deeply wronged and repeatedly claimed illness to avoid going. Initially, Bai Qi only had a grudge against Fan Ju, but it eventually turned into sulking with the king.
Coincidentally, other Qin generals were not competent either; they lost battle after battle with heavy casualties.
When Bai Qi heard this, he was pleased and said, 'If they hadn't listened to me, how would things be now?'
King Zhaoxiang of Qin was furious and demoted him out of Xianyang. Then, fearing Bai Qi might defect, he sent a messenger with a sword to force him to commit suicide. As Bai Qi was about to kill himself, he said, 'What crime have I committed against heaven to end up like this?'
In the end, it was still about not understanding weak management.
When suffering injustice, as a manager, you must realize:
1. Repeatedly bringing up and dwelling on the boss's mistakes is counterproductive. A boss who publicly admits mistakes usually has sufficient ability and confidence. In many cases, a boss who fears being looked down upon and can indirectly admit mistakes is already a good boss. In short: if you feel wronged, don't make the boss feel even more wronged.
2. After the boss makes a wrong decision, you should try to make up for it, not gloat, otherwise there will be a fundamental divergence of interests and goals, and then no matter how valuable you are, you will be abandoned. In short: allow different approaches but not different dreams.
A company president once confided to the author that there are only two types of capable people in his company: those who are capable and controllable, and those who are capable but uncontrollable. The former pleases him, the latter frightens him.
Psychologically, fear leads to aggression.
This is like encountering a barking dog: if a passerby feels fear, they might kick it without reason.
For subordinates, it's okay to express grievances, but the way you do it must not make the boss feel disgusted or threatened.
Second rule of 'weak management' of the boss: Let bygones be bygones, don't throw tantrums with the boss.
Situation 3: When you achieve success
When you achieve success, you can learn from another famous general's experience in managing the boss.
This person is Yue Yang, a 'parachuted' professional manager during the Warring States period, hired by Marquis Wen of Wei to lead the campaign against the Zhongshan state.
The campaign was arduous, but after much time, he finally returned victorious. Along the way, Yue Yang was very proud. He had worked hard and even sacrificed his own son, who was boiled by the King of Zhongshan, so he expected high positions, generous rewards, and honors.
Back in Wei, the boss held a grand banquet for Yue Yang with all the executives, drinking to their heart's content, but never mentioned rewards.
At the end of the banquet, Marquis Wen had two large boxes brought to him. Yue Yang thought they contained treasures, but when he got home and opened them, he broke into a cold sweat. Inside were memorials from court officials attacking him: some said he took bribes, some said he planned to declare himself king, and some said he lived a life of luxury.
The next morning, Yue Yang went to the palace to apologize and defend himself. Marquis Wen smiled and said, 'Do you think your achievements at the front were all your own? Without you, I couldn't have conquered Zhongshan; but without me, who would have trusted you so much?'
This is indeed worth pondering for professional managers.
Many marketing managers only see themselves as the direct creators of market performance, but fail to realize that the boss's proper authorization and behind-the-scenes support are even more indispensable.
Therefore, attributing success to the leader is not just a cliché or official talk, but should be genuine gratitude and recognition for the boss.
Personal ability and effort are necessary conditions for achieving performance, but by no means sufficient conditions.
If you become arrogant and overbearing after achieving some success, it's like planting seeds for future trouble. It might be fine when the company needs you, but it will be a dead knot when accounts are settled.
During the Yongzheng reign of the Qing Dynasty, General Nian Gengyao, after winning a border campaign, was demoted eighteen ranks upon returning to the capital because his achievements overshadowed the emperor. He could have avoided it, but he insisted on showing off, and was eventually sent to sweep the city gates.
In reality, similar cases are common in enterprises.
A company's sales had been declining, so the boss sent his college roommate, who was the current executive vice president, to manage marketing. Within a year, sales recovered and grew significantly. At the celebration banquet, a group of ignorant salespeople raised their bottles and shouted 'Long live the executive vice president,' leaving the boss stunned and thoughtful. Soon after, the executive vice president was transferred away from marketing and sidelined.
On the surface, this was an unprovoked disaster, as he didn't ask them to shout that. But in reality, his demeanor had revealed arrogance. Before managing marketing, he sat properly when talking to the boss; after managing marketing, he often crossed his legs. Once sidelined, his leg posture returned to normal.
Third rule of 'weak management' of the boss: Don't be arrogant after achievements, prevent the boss from settling scores later.
Situation 4: When facing suspicion
The last story is about Wang Jian, an old general of the Qin State at the end of the Warring States period.
After conquering Han, Zhao, Wei, and Yan, the Qin army turned to attack Chu.
Chu had strong troops and ample supplies, so it was hard to conquer. Since the younger generals had suffered consecutive defeats, the King of Qin had to ask the old general to come out of retirement. Leading an army of 500,000, the old general sent letters to the king asking for land, property, and houses during the campaign.
His reasons were plausible: sometimes he said he was old and needed more pension; sometimes he said he had too many children and his salary was insufficient. His subordinates worried that he would be ridiculed by the court for being so calculating!
Wang Jian said, 'It doesn't matter if others laugh at me; what matters is that the King is pleased. I am leading the entire army out, and the King's biggest worry is that I might collude with enemies or set up my own power base. By doing this, I show that I have no intention of rebelling, so the boss can rest assured.'
Later generations called this practice 'asking for fields and houses,' a strategy to avoid the boss's suspicion.
Similarly, Xiao He, who helped Liu Bang establish the Han Dynasty's centuries-long foundation, was also well-versed in this.
At that time, Liu Bang and Xiang Yu were locked in a fierce battle, but Liu Bang always had doubts about Xiao He, who was highly capable, well-regarded, and responsible for logistics. When Xiao He heard this, he did two things: first, he sent his family members to the front lines as hostages by Liu Bang's side; second, he instructed his family to start grabbing land and grain, almost doing everything bad except bullying women, to tarnish his own reputation.
When many people complained to Liu Bang about Xiao He, Liu Bang pretended to be angry but was secretly relieved. The cooperation between Liu and Xiao continued, and Xiao He eventually became one of the few who died a natural death in the early Han.
As a modern marketing manager, we cannot copy these methods exactly, cannot ask for benefits every day, and cannot deliberately break the law or engage in corruption. But we must realize that showing assertiveness in front of an assertive boss is dangerous.
If your boss is assertive, whether they are right or not, you should cooperate through weak management, rather than competing to see who is stronger, like a collision of Mars and Earth.
In fact, in most Chinese management organizations, we can observe this phenomenon: between two levels of management, the combination of strong and weak is always most beneficial—if the boss is strong, the subordinate responds weakly; if the boss is weak, the subordinate supplements with strength.
This is like Zhuge Liang, who could only appear under Liu Bei. If he had been under an assertive boss like Cao Cao, only those who understood weak management could survive.
Fourth rule of 'weak management' of the boss: Coordinate strength and weakness to prevent the boss from eliminating you.
In reality, many marketing managers achieve results but never get promoted; some are lucky to be promoted but quickly demoted back.
Most of this is due to not understanding how to implement weak management with the boss. If you can understand these aspects, you will basically master the 'executive language,' and communication with the boss will be smooth and effortless.
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