Because your boss doesn’t know the limits of his competence

You’re a designer, and your boss is not… but he thinks he knows a thing or two about design.

Or you’re a lawyer, and your boss is not… but he thinks he knows a thing or two about law.

Or you’re a marketer, and your boss is not… but he thinks he knows a thing or two about marketing.

Or you’re a coder, and your boss is not… but he thinks he knows a thing or two about code.

No one expects your boss to know about design, law, marketing or code.

Everyone expects him to know about management… and he does know how to manage.

He just doesn’t know the limits of his competence.

Sometimes, in a meeting, your boss says something about design, law, marketing or code that’s obviously wrong.

Everyone in the meeting knows the drill.

If you correct him, he’ll respond furiously, telling you that you don’t know what you’re talking about.

If you say nothing, he’ll commit you to a course of action that’s obviously wrong.

Instead, you all immediately start working together to deflect the conversation on to a different issue, a different decision, a different course of action.

Your boss never learns how little he knows about design, law, marketing or code, but disaster is averted.