How to Deal with a Chaotic Leader

You have options. Here are four different ways you can respond to a chaotic leader and three things you can do for yourself.

Chaos can be a good thing. Disrupting the status quo often leads to growth, change, creativity, and new opportunities.

For this reason, some leaders purposefully disturb their work environments. But with chaos, a little goes a long way. Working perpetually in a disordered environment leads to burnout, which is why — as I said in my previous article — good leaders guide teams through chaos instead of creating it.

So, what do you do when your leader contributes to confusion rather than guiding you through it? Well, that depends on two factors:

First, how intentional is the chaos your leader incites? Second, how open are they to adjusting their approach?

In three of the four above scenarios, you can broach the topic with your leader.

Open-Inadvertent: If your leader lacks skills and is open to feedback, that’s the easiest to approach. Have an honest conversation. Avoid passive-aggressive language and ask directly for what you want. Don’t be “nice,” but do be kind.